Cooperation can resolve Mahanadi dispute’

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.