By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 27, 2017 : Chattisgarh on Tuesday opened as many as seven gates of the Kalma barrage in Chattisgarh following heavy rainfall in upper catchment area of Mahanadi river.

However, Odisha government was not informed about it though the state had been demanding to open the gates to the downstream areas.

In fact, chief minister Naveen Patnaik had been protesting the unilateral decision of Chhattisgarh to close gates of Kalma barrage resulting in acute water crisis in downstream areas and had shot off a letter to his counterpart in Chattisgarh, Raman Singh demanding immediate reopening of the gates to ensure free flow of Mahandi water.

Patnaik had also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for opening of gates of Kalma and other barrages to maintain the free flow of water downstream which is the rightful claim of Odisha and its inhabitants.