Bhubaneswar, February 27 The Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal, led by its Chairperson Justice Bela M Trivedi, visited the Hirakud reservoir and other locations in Odisha's Sambalpur district on Friday as part of its crucial on-site assessment of the situation downstream, officials said.
The MWDT is hearing the dispute between Odisha and neighboring Chhattisgarh over the sharing of Mahanadi water. The tribunal was established in 2018 after Odisha alleged that the free flow of water in the river is being blocked due to "illegal" construction of barrages and dams upstream by Chhattisgarh.
During the visit, the team members inspected the Hirakud Dam, the right spillway, power house facilities, and the command area dependent on the reservoir. They also assessed the conditions at the Chiplima Power House, which plays a crucial role in hydroelectric power generation.
Besides Odisha's Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, government engineers and officials from both states accompanied the tribunal members.
The team was also provided with a presentation where the adverse effects of the water flow blockage on Odisha's livelihood, agriculture, fisheries, ecology, and other aspects were elaborately explained, officials said.
Acharya said on X that the MWDT "visited the Hirakud Dam area today as part of their scheduled visit for amicable resolution of the longstanding Mahanadi Water Dispute."
Later, Acharya told reporters that the tribunal members' visit is "very important" to deliver justice to Odisha. "They should see and understand how Odisha is affected due to the blockage of the free flow of water downstream in Odisha. Their experience will certainly help Odisha," he said.
The advocate general further said that there was an attempt to settle the dispute through negotiation between the two states, and this visit by the tribunal team will also help in this regard.
The Mahanadi Bachao Andolan (MBA), an organization spearheading the agitation demanding protection of the Mahanadi, however, opposes the tribunal's visit and said that a similar visit in 2023 had not yielded any results.
