New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The long-pending Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh is expected to be resolved amicably by Diwali, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced on Thursday.
After a high-level tripartite meeting held in New Delhi, Majhi told reporters that both Odisha and Chhattisgarh have agreed to settle the issue within the next three months by Diwali.
The announcement follows a high-level meeting chaired by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil and attended by the Chief Ministers of the two states, Vishnu Deo Sai and Mohan Majhi.
Discussions at the meeting focused on finding a mutually acceptable solution for the sharing and management of Mahanadi River water.
Noting that the meeting concluded on a positive note, the Chief Minister said both sides agreed to work together to resolve the decades-old dispute in a time-bound manner. The discussions also covered the effective management of the river to ensure the interests of both states are protected.
Majhi stressed that Odisha’s rights over the Mahanadi waters and the future of the state’s farming community were at the centre of the discussions. Protecting farmers’ livelihoods occupies a major priority while working towards a fair and sustainable water-sharing arrangement, he said.
The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, reflecting the willingness of both state governments to resolve the issue through dialogue rather than prolonged legal or political battles, CM Majhi said.
Chairing the meeting, the Jal Shakti Minister also shared his views, further strengthening efforts to reach a consensus.
The proposed resolution of the issue within three months could mark a significant breakthrough in one of eastern India’s most important inter-state river disputes, offering much-needed clarity on water sharing and management before the festive season.
Majhi said further tripartite meetings involving the Union Jal Shakti ministry and the Central Water Commission (CWC) would be held, alongside officer-level discussions. “The process will continue over the next three months,” he said.
Stressing that Odisha had always favoured dialogue, Majhi said Chhattisgarh has now come on board with the same approach.
It may be recalled that Majhi had earlier put emphasis on an amicable solution to the river water dispute. He had also held discussions with his Chhattisgarh counterpart during a conference of water resources ministers in Rajasthan in February last year and strongly favoured an early resolution to the water dispute.
“We were ready for negotiations from the beginning. The Chhattisgarh CM has also agreed to this path. Following that, the Union Jal Shakti ministry convened this meeting. With triple engine BJP govts at the Centre and in both states, we are confident of resolving the issue amicably,” he said.
The latest development follows an 11-day marathon round of bilateral talks between Odisha and Chhattisgarh from June 16 to 26.
The discussions centred on key issues such as the water-sharing formula, river water availability, upstream projects, basin management and reconciliation of hydrological data, with both sides attempting to reach a point-by-point consensus.
It may be noted that the Centre constituted the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) in March 2018 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, after Odisha approached the Supreme Court in Dec 2016 over Chhattisgarh’s upstream projects. Since coming to power, the BJP government in Odisha has favoured a negotiated settlement, arguing that prolonged litigation could delay a resolution. In April this year, the Centre extended the tribunal’s tenure by nine months, till Jan 13, 2027.
