New Delhi, July 26: Uma Bharti, Union Water Resources Minister on Tuesday told Lok Sabha as a reply to the action undergone by the members of BJD that the Odisha state is very close to her heart thus assuring that the central government will not do anything or even allow anything which would hinder or hamper its interests.
She also added saying that water must not be taken as a reason for a “fight” rather it should be called as a factor of unity. Stressing upon Modi government’s slogan which says, Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, she said that therefore it the responsibility to maintain unity among all states and club it together. Dragging minister’s attention on the impact of the Hirakud dam being constructed by the state of Chhattisgarh on the Mahanadi River, BJD leader, Bhartruhari Mahtab and his party colleagues including Tathagatha Sathpathy and Kalikesh Singh Deo were curious to get the answer whether Odisha was being discriminated against for choosing a different socio-political way.
Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, State for Water Resources minister was noticed only one and a half months ago after Odisha wrote formally seeking the union government’s intervention. Criticizing the Chhattisgarh government for taking the decision of constructing activities without taking into account the interests of the people of Odisha, Mahtab said the central government should make its interference in the matter. BJD members had staged a demonstration in Parliament House complex against the barrage construction on July 20. They had stated that there was “an agreement” in 1983 between the then governments of Madhya Pradesh and Odisha on how the river water is to be shared if new embankments or new reservoirs are to be constructed.
Mahanadi contributes the maximum water for irrigation in Odisha and sustains the livelihood of the farmers of 15 districts, including Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundergarh and Bolangir.
