New Delhi: The Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal Saturday granted four weeks time to Odisha for filing rejoinder in response to a reply filed by Chhattisgarh government seeking equitable share of water between the parties in dispute.
A three-judge bench of the tribunal headed by AM Khanwilkar and comprising Justices Ravi Ranjan and Indermeet Kaur posted the matter for hearing February 1 and asked the parties to complete pleadings in the main petition before the next hearing.
The tribunal has appointed two assessors in the matter to coordinate with the disputing states to facilitate supply of data and other documents.
Significantly, the counsels for the states apprised the tribunal that the first round of site inspection has been completed and submitted that experts from Odisha and Chhattisgarh will hold second round of inspection in January.
Advocate General Ashoka Parija said a team of experts from Chhattisgarh will visit Odisha January 4 while Odisha’s team will visit Chhattisgarh January 16 to inspect the places where the flow of river water has been obstructed.
Earlier, a team of experts from Odisha had visited Chhattisgarh from October 30 to November 2 and inspected 55 ongoing projects over river Mahanadi river at the behest of the Tribunal. Similarly, Chhattisgarh officials had also visited Odisha from November 17 to 19.
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh government has sought IMD data on rainfall from the Centre. However, counsel for Odisha said they have not gone through the Chhattisgarh’s request so far and would respond to it after a detailed study.
Counsel for Maharashtra, advocate Deepak Narwarkar said pleading in the interim application filed by Odisha have been completed and the tribunal is exploring modalities for amicable settlement on the issue.
Notably, Odisha and Chhattisgarh have filed petitions in the Mahanadi water disputes tribunal in respect to sharing of Mahanadi water. Odisha, in its petition, claimed that Chhattisgarh had built several barrages across the river obstructing the water flow to the state downstream. Odisha has sought a stay on the construction and operation of six barrages being built over river Mahanadi and also for maintaining specific flow of water during the non-monsoon months –November to May.