Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga RejuvenationUma Bharti has called a meeting of the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Madhya Pradesh (MP) on Thursday in New Delhi to discuss the issue of supply of water to UP from Bansagar dam. It may be recalled that UP Government in a recent communication sent to Chairman, Central Water Commission had requested that suitable directions may be issued to Government of MP to release 2000 cusecs of water from Bansagar dam for two months into Sone river against the due share of U.P. i.e. one Million Acre-Feet from Bansagar dam. In its communication UP Government has said that due to severe hot weather and scarcity of rains, an acute crisis of drinking and irrigation water has arisen in the districts of Sonbhadra and Mirzapur.
MP Government has refused to release the desired water on the ground that since UP has not agreed to share the operation and maintenance expenses of Bansagar dam hence they have not stored the due share of water of UP in Bansagar dam. UP Government has refuted this claim of MP. Bansagar agreement was reached between the Governments of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on the September 16, 1973 for sharing the waters of River Sone and the cost of the Bansagar Dam. The dam is located in MP and controlled by Bansagar Control Board, which is a subordinate office of the Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India.