Bhubaneswar: Fresh controversy has erupted over the data presented before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, with the Mahanadi Banchao Andolan (MBA) alleging that figures submitted jointly by Odisha and Chhattisgarh were misleading and detrimental to the state’s interests.Addressing a press conference, MBA convener Sudarshan Das on Thursday said the data, prepared by a joint expert committee and approved by chief ministers of both states, projected a total availability of 62.36 million acre-feet (MAF) in the Mahanadi basin. It indicated 28.48 MAF at the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border, 32.83 MAF near Hirakud and 56.29 MAF near Naraj, suggesting Odisha has adequate water and weakening its claim in the dispute.Das said a contradiction between this submission and statements made by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the state assembly on Aug 29 last year. Majhi said 41 large and medium and 1,874 small projects in Chhattisgarh reduced non-monsoon flow, affecting the Hirakud multipurpose project, which failed to meet its targets in recent years.The activist group also highlighted inconsistencies with earlier submissions made by Odisha to the tribunal in 2018-19. At that time, Odisha argued that Chhattisgarh blocked non-monsoon flows, leading to water scarcity. The state disputed Chhattisgarh’s claim of 27.48 MAF, asserting that only 24.27 MAF was available, of which 10.83 MAF was usable. It also demanded release of 1.74 MAF to sustain Hirakud operations, said Das.Citing past data, Das said inflow to Hirakud during non-monsoon months dropped by 44%, from an average 1.252 MAF between 2005-06 and 2015-16 to just 0.702 MAF in 2017, allegedly due to upstream projects in Chhattisgarh, some of which lacked environmental clearance.“The latest data contradicts Odisha’s earlier stand. If the dispute is decided on this basis, the state risks losing its rightful share and the Mahanadi’s future will be compromised,” Das said.The group has sought a meeting with the chief minister by May 20. Failing that, it plans a peaceful protest outside his residence and a silent demonstration during the tribunal’s next hearing on May 30, said activists Basudev Bhatt, Sachikanta Pradhan, Prasanna Bisoi and others.
