By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, May 30, 2017 : Chhattisgarh government has once again closed gates on the Kalma barrage affecting water flow from Mahanadi river to many panchayats in Jharsuguda district.

This has sparked off a row between Odisha and the neighbouring Chattisgarh governments even as the Mahanadi water dispute is in Supreme Court.

While the upper catchment of the barrage is full of water, the lower catchment is dry and full of sand since the Kalma barrage gate is shut. With 66 gates closed on the barrage time and again by Chhattisgarh, the flow of water to the lower areas has severely reduced, officials said.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal [BJD] has cried foul and blasted the BJP government in Chhattisgarh for resorting to anti-people act.

“Chhattisgarh government is releasing water to the lower areas as per their wish. Many a times they close the gate for a few days in a week which is affecting lives of people living in the lower catchment. Right now the Kalma gate is closed since a week,” said BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb.

Even a few villages of Chhattisgarh are being affected due to which Chhattisgharh Janata Congress is protesting the move of the local BJP government. “The gates cannot be closed completely. This is affecting lives of people in Odisha as well as Chhattisgarh,” said Gitanjali Patel of the Chhattisgharh Janata Congress.

BJP leader and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan however said these are false allegations. “If the Odisha government has facts regarding this allegation they must expose it in public,” he said.