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Cooperation can resolve Mahanadi dispute’
Context:
- The Water Initiatives Odisha (WIO) and Mahanadi River Waterkeeper has recently organised the 2nd Odisha River Conference.
2nd Odisha River Conference:
- Around 150 people from basin communities such as farmers and fisherfolks participated in the programme along with civil society representatives, river and water experts and academicians from across the country.
- An Inter-State Cooperation Framework for the resolution of the Mahanadi river water dispute was constituted.
Issues revolving around the Mahanadi water dispute:
- Competitive politics over the Mahanadi water sharing;
- Both the States are treating the Mahanadi as a commodity and not a natural resource;
- Odisha-centric or Chhattisgarh-centric approach to solving the issue.
The guiding principles to solve the water disputes are as follows:
- Formulation of a comprehensive understanding;
- availability of water in the basin; and
- People’s rights on the river.
Mahanadi:
- Mahanadi is the sixth largest river in India.
- It originates from Chhattisgarh and enters the Bay of Bengal travelling 851 km, of which 357 km lies in Chhattisgarh and 494 km in Odisha.
