Bhubaneswar, Sept. 19: BJD workers today burnt effigies of Union water resources minister Uma Bharati and Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh here for not conceding to the demand of Odisha to stop work on the Mahanadi river at the tripartite meeting held in New Delhi last Saturday.

While party workers hit the streets, chief minister Naveen Patnaik today met representatives of eight political parties - CPM, CPI, Samajwadi Party, Rashtirya Janata Dal, Forward Bloc, CPI(ML) and SUCI - and a few NGOs to brief them about his government's stand at the tripartite meeting held in New Delhi.

The political parties reportedly extended their support to the government and authorised it to take all steps to protect the interests of Odisha.

At the meeting, government officials also made a presentation on the construction activities that the Chhattisgarh government is carrying out on the Mahanadi.

Sources said government officials told the leaders of the political parties that the neighbouring state was constructing 11 projects on the Mahanadi upstream.

"If these projects come up, it will have a disastrous impact on Odisha," an official told the leaders.

Thanking the leaders for their suggestions, Naveen said: "They have given their points of view. The government will take note of it."

CPM leader Janardan Pati said: "We told the chief minister that the government had reacted late to the issue. The state should approach the Supreme Court for the formation of a water dispute tribunal to resolve the issue."

State unit chief of the Samajwadi Party Rabi Behera said: "Chhattisgarh government's construction activities on the Mahanadi without taking the co-basin state into confidence is against the spirit of federalism. The issue should be dealt with both politically and legally."

A few other political leaders present at the meeting demanded that state government should adopt a unanimous resolution condemning the actions of Chhattisgarh government and the partisan attitude of Centre in the winter session of the Assembly scheduled to begin on September 21.

Sources said the state government would approach the Supreme Court shortly to intervene in the matter. Excise minister Damodar Rout said: "The chief minister had placed a proposal in the cabinet to go to the Supreme Court. We wholeheartedly supported the move."

With most of the political parties united on the issue and voicing their opposition to the role of the Centre, BJP leader and Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradan today said: "Odisha's interests will be protected. Even during the non-monsoon period, Odisha's share of Mahanadi water will not be reduced."

Away from the high-pitched reaction of the political parties on the vexed issue, a section of intellectuals of both the states today met here and discussed the Mahanadi row. The intellectuals have also decided to undertake a yatra next month from the origin of Mahanadi to the point where it flows into the Bay of Bengal.