Bhubaneswar, July 25: Opposition leader Narasingha Mishra today accused chief minister Naveen Patnaik of being reluctant in calling an all-party meeting to discuss the Chhattisgarh government's move to build barrages in the Mahanadi upstream.
On the other hand, the BJD today launched demonstrations against the Chhattisgarh government in Sambalpur. The BJD youth wing today staged demonstration outside the Sambalpur district collector's office to protest against barrage construction in the Hirakud upstream. State BYJD president Sanjaya Das Burma said: "The construction of barrages will badly affect the people of 15 districts of the state."
But, Mishra said that as Naveen was not interested in calling for an all-party meet, he would call for it to discuss the issue. "I propose to call a meeting of representatives of all political parties to discuss and take appropriate steps," he said.
The Congress leader said: "Along with a Congress delegation, I will leave for Chhattisgarh tonight and visit the places where it has built barrages and other places where it plans to build such constructions."
The Mahanadi caters to the need of around 65 per cent population of Odisha. The Chhattisgarh government is working on eight medium projects, seven barrages and more than one big project in the Mahanadi upstream. Once the projects come up, there is an apprehension that Odisha would not get adequate water for agriculture.
"We are yet to study what would be its impact on the Hirakud dam if Chhattisgarh goes ahead with its barrage plan," said a water resources department official. Today, the department prepared an assessment report and submitted it to the principal secretary.
The BJP seems to be divided over the issue. Earlier, state BJP president Basant Panda and Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan had said why the state government had not initiated steps in 1983 to form a joint committee with Chhattisgarh to regulate the distribution of Mahanadi water.
However, BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra said: "Those, who are floating the theory that water distribution should be done according to the 1983 agreement, are supporting Chhattisgarh and not Odisha."
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SUBRAT MOHANTY FROM SAMBALPUR
