Mahanadi water dispute

  • April 27, 2023
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Mahanadi water dispute

Subject : Polity

Section: Federalism

Concept :

  • A controversy has erupted over Chhattisgarh’s release of Mahanadi water into the lower catchment area of the river system.

Details of the Dispute

  • As per the allegation of the Water Resource Department of Odisha, Chhattisgarh has opened the gates of Kalma Barrage through which 1,000-1,500 cusecs of water is flowing into Mahanadi and have said that it is unusual for Chhattisgarh to release water during non-monsoon season.
  • The officials of the department claim that gates were opened ahead of the scheduled visit of the former Supreme Court Justice A.M. Khanwilkar who is the Chairperson of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal.
  • Odisha has expressed concerns over Chhattisgarh’s management of Mahanadi river water in the upper catchment area as Chhattisgarh in recent times has constructed several barrages restricting the flow of water in Odisha which is a lower catchment area.
  • The non-availability of water in the Mahanadi River during the non-monsoon season has adversely impacted rabi crops and reduced drinking water availability in Odisha.

Mahanadi Tribunal

  • In 2018, the Supreme court directed the Centre to notify a Tribunal to adjudicate the dispute.
  • The Mahandi Water Disputes Tribunal was constituted in March 2018 as Odisha filed a complaint with the Ministry of Jal Shakti under Section 3 of the lnter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956..
  • It has been asked to determine water sharing among basin states on the basis of:
  • the overall availability of water
  • contribution of each state,
  • the present utilisation of water resources in each state and
  • the potential for future development”.
  • The tribunal has been tasked to submit its report by December 2025.

Mahanadi River

  • The Mahanadi rises in a pool 6 km from Farsiya village in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district, and falls into the Bay of Bengal close to the temple town of Konark in Odisha’s Puri district.
  • The river basin is spread over Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and small parts of Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
  • Some 54.27% of the basin area is agricultural land, and 4.45% is water bodies.
  • Major Tributaries:
  • The Seonath, the Hasdeo, the Mand and the Ib joins Mahanadi from left whereas the Ong, the Tel and the Jonk joins it from right.
  • Major Dams/Projects on Mahanadi:
  • Hirakud Dam: This is the longest dam of India.
  • Ravishankar Sagar, Dudhawa Reservoir, Sondur Reservoir, Hasdeo Bango and Tandula are other major projects.

Mahanadi water dispute Polity