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A very important and high level meeting was held at Dutva Bhawan, New Delhi towards a permanent and peaceful solution to the long standing Mahanadi water dispute between Chhattisgarh and Odisha. In this important meeting chaired by the country’s Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi strongly presented the stand of their respective states. Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, Chairman of the Central Water Commission, Chief Secretaries of both the states and many senior officials of the Jal Shakti Ministry were also specially present in the meeting.
During this high-level meeting, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai presented a clear and positive roadmap for the resolution of the Mahanadi water dispute. In his address, he emphasized that Mahanadi is not a dividing line between two states under any circumstances, rather it is a cultural and life-giving stream connecting the two neighboring states. He said in clear words that such a solution to this dispute should be found in which no one is defeated, but the joint victory of both the states can be ensured.
Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai said in the meeting that Chhattisgarh’s stance has always been to seek a just, fair, scientific, transparent and sustainable solution, so that the interests of the farmers, common citizens and future generations of both the states can be completely protected. He also highlighted that Mahanadi originates from the soil of Chhattisgarh and more than half of the catchment area of this river comes under this state. Therefore, it is essential that the farmers of Chhattisgarh, irrigation needs and the real needs of the tribal areas get proper place in this agreement.
Along with this, Chief Minister Sai fully clarified the commitment of Chhattisgarh towards the interests of the state of Odisha and said that Hirakud Dam is the lifeline of Odisha and Chhattisgarh always fully respects its interests. He assured that every possible support will be provided from Chhattisgarh in the smooth operation and management of Hirakud.
While praising this initiative of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Sai especially mentioned the historic efforts of the country’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for national integration. He said that soon after independence, Sardar Patel had unified the geography of India by uniting more than 500 princely states, and today Home Minister Amit Shah is carrying forward the same spirit of great integration by resolving the complex inter-state disputes that have been going on for decades between the states through mutual dialogue, consensus and cooperation.
The Chief Minister said that resolution of water disputes between states is not just an administrative or legal achievement, but it is a continuous process of making the entire India emotionally stronger and united. Referring to the major decisions and agreements taken in the country recently, he said that just as long pending water and river disputes of other states have been resolved through dialogue and political will, similarly the Mahanadi dispute will also be resolved through mutual harmony.
Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai, while specifically mentioning the Bastar region of the state in his address, said that the entire country has seen the positive results of the determination and commitment with which the decisive campaign against terrorism and Naxalism has been carried out in Bastar. He said that due to the leadership of the Central Government and the strong determination of Home Minister Amit Shah, now instead of violence and guns, development, education and progress are being discussed in Bastar. With the same strong will, a permanent and universally accepted solution to the Mahanadi water dispute will also be found.
Addressing Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi as his “younger brother”, Chief Minister Sai said that the two states are deeply connected with each other socially, culturally and historically. He said that both of us have come from the soil of the forest and understand very well that when water reaches a farmer’s field, there is a huge change in his life. The faith of Mahaprabhu Jagannath flows in the same cultural stream from Shivrinarayan in Chhattisgarh to Puri in Odisha, hence Mahanadi should never be made a cause of dispute or conflict, rather it should be made the biggest medium of mutual cooperation, development and unwavering trust between the two states.
At the end of the meeting, the Chief Minister clarified that Chhattisgarh has full faith in the mediation of the Jal Shakti Ministry and the scientific and transparent technical assessments of the Central Water Commission (CWC). Whatever fair solution emerges in consultation with senior officials and experts of both the states, Chhattisgarh will extend its full cooperation in accepting and implementing it with full positive spirit. It is worth noting that this dispute over sharing of Mahanadi water has been pending before the Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal since 2018, but in the last few months, the way talks between the top leadership of the two states have intensified at the political and technical level, it has given hope that soon a satisfactory and historic solution to this complex issue will emerge.