Regional Dialogue on River Mahanadi: Call for Participation

First Invitation for Participation

Regional Dialogue on River Mahanadi

“Building a People’s Agenda for Management of River Mahanadi”

Sambalpur – 23 and 24 December 2012

Organised by:  Water Initiatives Odisha, and Nadi Ghati Morcha, Chhatisgarh

Dear Friends/Co-sailors,

Mahanadi, touted as a water surplus river, is in fact dying.   While the river’s water is on a receding path, the allocation of water to industrial houses and urbanisation is increasing.  The changed priorities in managing the water resources are taking a heavy toll on both the quantity and quality of the river water.   In fact, this most important peninsular river of the country has become the most controversial of all. 

With the increased industrialisation, commercialisation and urbanisation in the river basin, fights over the water has also increased.  Farmers, fisher folks and common people have been struggling hard to access the river water.  The river is now heavily polluted and the current blind push for Thermal Power Plants is further worsening the plight of the Mother River of both Odisha and Chhatisgarh. 

The management of the river needs urgent attention of both the people and policy makers.  Most importantly both the major riparian states i.e. Odisha and Chhatisgarh must start discussing and form a whole new strategy to manage the river keeping in mind its current status of issues and problems. 

With the above in background, Water Initiatives Odisha and Nadi Ghati Morcha, Chhattisgarh are organising a two day long Dialogue on River Mahanadi which is aimed at ““Building a People’s Agenda for Management of River Mahanadi”. 

In this Dialogue, we aim at chalking out a plan for building an understanding on the stress that Mahanadi faces today and then build a consensus on a people’s agenda to be submitted to the state governments as well as to take them to the people of the states. 

If you are interested in the issue and want to participate please write back to us and we can discuss further.  Please mail us at ranjanpanda@gmail.com and call us at 09437050103/09937561700.

Look forward to hear from you.

Thanks and regards

Ranjan Panda, Convenor, Water Initiatives Odisha

Gautam Kumar Bandyopadhyay, Convenor, Nadi Ghati Morcha, Chhatisgarh

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Water Initiatives Odisha (WIO) is a state coalition of civil society organisations, farmers, academia, media and other concerned, which has been working on water, environment and climate change issues in Odisha for more than two decades now.

Nadi Ghati Morcha is a Chhattisgarh based people’s organisation struggling for community rights over natural resources and promote water centric economy to get justice and equity.