Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday urged Central water resources minister Uma Bharti to ensure free flow of Mahanadi water that acts as a lifeline for Odisha. In a letter, Mr Pradhan expressed concern over sharp drop in the water level and requested Ms Bharti to advise Chhattisgarh to open the gates of Kalma barrage.
“It is stated that non-monsoon flow into Hirakud reservoir in Odisha received from the upper catchment of Mahanadi basin is showing a significant downward trend. The percentage reduction has alarmingly gone up to 78 per cent in the month of May,” Mr Pradhan said in a letter to Ms Bharti. Mr Pradhan further wrote that this stop of flow had caused severe anguish in the downstream areas, thus affecting the district water needs in peak summer months. “If this trend is allowed to continue, there will be near stoppage of flow of water into the Hirakud reservoir and in all likelihood cause big loss to the reservoir and the downward catchment area,” he said.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik had earlier shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to instruct the Chhattisgarh government to stop construction of barrages on Mahanadi river and ensure free flow of water to the state. He also urged Mr Modi to open the gates of Kalma and other barrages to maintain free flow of water downstream which is the rightful claim of Odisha and its inhabitants.
