The Centre has convened a meeting of the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in New Delhi tomorrow in a bid to resolve the dispute between the two states over releasing water from Bansagar Dam. Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti will chair the meeting.

The Bansagar dam is located in Madhya Pradesh and controlled by Bansagar Control Board, which is a subordinate office of the Union Water Resources Ministry.

The meeting comes in the wake of a UP government communication sent to the Chairman of Central Water Commission requesting that suitable directions may be issued to Madhya Pradesh government to release 2,000 cusecs of water from Bansagar Dam for two months into Sone River against the due share of Uttar Pradesh.

The Uttar Pradesh government had said, due to severe heat and scarcity of rains, an acute crisis of drinking water and irrigation has arisen in the districts of Sonbhadra and Mirzapur.