Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Mahanadi River Water Disputes Tribunal between Odisha and Chhattisgarh is going on for over two months, and now opposition BJP and Congress have raised questions over the State Government’s decision and their steps towards this matter so that the rights of Odisha will be ensured.
Senior BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra stated that the people of Odisha will soon face the unprecedented water scarcity due to the ongoing dispute over Mahanadi. He has also demanded that the Government should come out with a white paper on the matter.
He further stated that within just two months, the Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal tenure will end and the Odisha Government is yet to get its fair share of the river water either due to its lack of will or inability to present the relevant facts before the Tribunal. But as of now, no one knows what will be the final consequence and what steps should be taken for this issue.
He even spoke about the justice from the Tribunal while stating that the Centre if want can extend the tenure of the Tribunal for two more years, but there is no such information of hint whether the extension happens in future or not. The 12 barrages on the upstream of the tributaries of Mahanadi are yet to be constructed, but there is no such information regarding the final date of the construction of six barrages on the downstream of Mahanadi.
Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati has asked the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to assemble an all part meeting. In the meeting, they all can discuss the ongoing dispute over the issue. He heavily slammed the BJD and BJP and stated that instead of safeguarding the more substantial interest of Odisha, the Government is politicising the matter.
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