Mahanadi Bachao Andolan (MBA), which has been pioneering the movement to resolve the disputes between Chhattisgarh and Odisha states over the water of Mahanadi river, has revived its movement with several activists led by water conservationist and environmentalist Rajendra Singh and Andolan convener Sudarshan Das reaching the Kalma Barrage, the last barrage constructed on the river basin in Chhattisgarh, on Thursday.

Talking to ‘The Hitavada’, Das said that Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, which was constituted on March 12, 2018, should have adjudicated the dispute within three years of the constitution of the tribunal. If the hearing does not taken place within three years then there is provision of giving two more years as extension period, said Das. However, more than one year of the extension period has passed and the Tribunal was yet to start hearing on the matter.

“We, around 13 members of the Andolan, led by Rajendra Singh are here at Kalma barrage to give a message to the tribunal to start the hearing. Besides, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is on Bastar trip these days and we will try to meet him and take up the matter with him,” Das told

‘The Hitavada’. River expert and Indian Peninsular River Basins Council Convener Vinod Bodhankar and river expert Narendra Chug are also part of the 13-member delegation, Das said. Das said that there has been dispute between Chhattisgarh and Odisha on the rights of the river for its ecology and environment. The issue was given birth in 2016. The then government of Chhattisgarh constructed many river valley projects and barrages and anicuts over dams in the entire Mahanadi river basin which seriously affected the flow of the water in the downstream. As a result of which, Mahanadi river flowing in Odisha is not getting enough water for its ecological balance and entire biodiversity, ecology and livelihood of people around Mahanadi in Odisha got badly affected, Das said. MBA moved the NGT which found out that many of the project constructed by the Chhattisgarh government illegal, said Das. Neither these projects got due approval from environment impact assessment authority and other statutory bodies including CWC (Central Water Commission), said Das. Looking at the whole project, in 2018 NGT had prevented the construction of river valley projects and asked that projects already constructed could not be commissioned till the matter is adjudicated. The petition was filed by Sudarshan Das in the NGT (National Green Tribunal) against Government of Chhattisgarh, Government of India and CWC. Chhattisgarh government did not pay any heed to the order issued by the NGT. Chhattisgarh challenged the NGT order in the Kolkata High Court. Kolkata High Court turned down the petition challenging the NGT order. Chhattisgarh government then moved the Supreme Court urging for a tribunal to adjudicate the dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over Mahanadi water, said Das. It is to be mentioned, MBA took the lead, staged demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and held a series of meetings with the Chief Ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh, apart from taking out padyatra along with riverside of Mahanadi river. The way Chhattisgarh government has designed the barrages constructed over the Mahanadi river basin, it seem it does not want to give a single drop of Mahanadi water. Das said that river has to survive, ecological flow must be maintained without any compromise and the rights of Odisha must be respected. Rajendra Singh said that more than three years have passed after the Tribunal was set up. “I already told that this tribunal will complicate the case which may take the shape of Kaveri dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Kaveri water dispute remains unresolved for 50 years,” said the water conservationist. Kaveri water dispute arose because of crop change, Singh said, adding paddy and banana crops need excess water. All the barrages constructed over the Mahanadi river basin are illegal, said Rajendra Singh who hoped that the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel will pay heed to the issue. The barrages were constructed for supplying water to corporates in violation of principles of river science, said Singh. Singh said that he will eat nothing for the next two days after seeing the situation of Mahanadi. This is the beginning of my ‘satyagrah’ to save Mahanadi river, not against any establishment, said Singh. Chhattisgarh Water Resources Department Engineer-in-Chief Indrajeet Uikey did not pick the phone calls when contacted to know the department’s stand on the development.