Odisha's stand on Mahanadi water dispute vindicated after Supreme Court order: Naveen Patnaik

Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court order to set up a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute and said that Odisha’s stand has been vindicated. [caption id=“attachment_4050337” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. PTI[/caption] The apex court on Tuesday directed the Centre to set up a tribunal within a month to resolve the long-standing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over the sharing of water from river Mahanadi. Patnaik said formation of the tribunal will go a long way in protecting the interests of the people, especially the farmers of the state. Meanwhile, Opposition BJP also welcomed the Supreme Court order and said the dispute should be solved within a short time for the interest of the state. The ruling BJD, however, attacked the saffron party, accusing it of taking an anti-Odisha stand and of double speak. “BJP’s anti-Odisha stand, double speak and support to Chhattisgarh has been exposed,” BJD spokesman PK Deb said. The state government had been opposed to neighbouring Chhattishgarh’s construction of projects on the upstream of Mahanadi, leading to less flow of water downstream to Odisha. “BJP’s actions have been anti-Odisha and anti-farmers. The BJP in Odisha has openly worked as spokespersons of Chhattisgarh and in doing so have done a great disservice to their own state and its people,” he alleged. “The people of Odisha will never forget or forgive the betrayal by BJP on the issue of Mahanadi,” Deb, also a Rajya Sabha MP, said in a statement.