Odisha to prepare master plan to use Mahanadi water

The Odisha government has decided to prepare a master plan to put a check on the flowing of Mahanadi river water into the sea by constructing barrages and anicuts, an official said on Saturday.

"The state government is working on a roadmap and a master plan to put a check on the water of Mahanadi that is getting drained into the sea by constructing barrages and anicuts," said Water Resources Secretary Pradip Jena.

The government would construct as many as seven barrages in the downstream of Mahanadi river while 22 barrages will also be constructed on its tributaries and distributaries.

The move of the state government came after Chhattisgarh constructed several barrages upstream of Mahanadi checking the flowing of water downstream.

The Odisha government also faced severe criticism for not constructing barrages to store water as around 52 per cent of water is going into the sea, while the state can utilise only 22,948 million cubic meter (MCM) of water.

The state government has taken up at least five projects since 2000 to utilise the water flowing to the sea, said an official.

Both Chhattisgarh and Odisha governments are at loggerheads over sharing of Mahanadi water. Odisha moved the Supreme Court accusing Chhattisgarh of constructing barrages unilaterally and the Central government has set up a to resolve the dispute.

--IANS

cd/vd