Bhubaneswar, 13 December (H.S.): The long-standing Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh took a sharp political turn on Saturday, with senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Prasanna Acharya alleging a “conspiracy to kill the Mahanadi.”
Speaking to reporters, Acharya accused the Odisha government of remaining inactive despite what he claimed were repeated constructions of barrages by neighbouring Chhattisgarh on the river. His remarks drew a strong rebuttal from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which questioned the BJD’s record during its 24-year tenure in power in Odisha.
Acharya alleged that the Chhattisgarh government has been constructing barrages on the Mahanadi one after another without seeking permission or even intimating the Odisha government. He said the survival of the river was intrinsically linked to the survival of Odisha and warned of serious consequences if the issue was not addressed urgently.
He further claimed that during the BJD government, Odisha had approached the Centre and sought intervention from the Central Water Commission, but the response was inadequate. According to Acharya, the issue was earlier viewed through a political prism, as the BJP was in power at both the Centre and in Chhattisgarh, while Odisha was governed by the BJD.
“Earlier, when Odisha raised this issue with the Centre, they took a partial stand and did not address our grievances. Everything was seen through a political lens. Today, the Mahanadi and the people of Odisha are bearing the consequences of that partiality,” he said.
Acharya also questioned why no decisive steps were being taken now, despite the BJP being in power at the Centre, in Odisha, and in Chhattisgarh, to resolve the long-pending dispute and protect the interests of the state.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
