Uma urges Odisha to allow Centre to conduct studies on river projects

21 October, New Delhi

Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti Friday urged Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to allow the Centre to conduct the initial studies on river linking projects, involving Mahanadi river, flowing through the state.

ddressing mediapersons here, Ms Bharti appealed to the Chief Minister to withdraw his objections, while assuring that no injustice would be done to the state.

She said Odisha was a beautiful state with nice people and Mr Patnaik should be grateful to the people, who despite facing water shortage, have been electing him for years. “Its time, he must pay back by ensuring food, jobs and water for the people of the state”, Ms Bharti said.

The Minister said Mr Patnaik should give his assent to the Tista-Sankosh-Mahanadi-Godavari river-linking project, as this would only increase the water capacity of Mahanadi.

Patnaik had written to a letter in this regard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging his intervention in the irrigation projects, carried out by Chhattisgarh on Mahanadi. He said these projects would lead to water crisis in the state, affecting half the population of the state.