Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Sep 30:

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today again shot a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to intervene to solve the Mahanadi water sharing dispute.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik

Patnaik said the issue can be resolved if the Prime Minister desires.

The state government would not go for the legal measure if the Prime Minister immediately intervenes in the matter the Chief Minister said adding that good relations between the two states are essential to strengthen the federal system of the country.

Patnaik in his letter urged Prime Minister Modi to direct Chhattisgarh government to immediately halt construction of projects on the upper catchment of the Mahanadi.

He further wrote that there would be no issues if the water flow to Hirakud remains the same as it was in 1960.

It may be noted here that Odisha government had earlier rejected the expert committee set up by the Centre to look into the issue after the failure of the tripartite discussion at New Delhi to resolve the issue.

The Chief Minister had announced in the Assembly that the government will take action on administrative and legal fronts to resolve the Mahanadi river water dispute.

Earlier, on July 4 this year, the Chief Minister had written to the Prime Minister seeking the latter’s intervention in ensuring that the construction of a barrage by the Chhattisgarh government on the Mahanadi’s upper catchment area stops.