The Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh could be resolved within a month after a Union-led meeting in Delhi reviewed progress towards an agreement and directed both states to work towards an amicable settlement, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Thursday.
The meeting was held in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah, Union Jal Shakti minister C R Patil, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and senior officials from both states. Majhi said discussions had moved closer to a solution and that the dispute could be settled by Diwali, in line with his earlier expectation.
According to officials, Shah reviewed the work carried out by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and considered the positions of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Majhi later told reporters in New Delhi that the CWC had been preparing a framework based on decisions taken during a meeting on July 30.
“We are satisfied with the progress made over the past two months. I am optimistic that a solution can be found within the next month, as envisaged at the beginning of the discussions,” Majhi said.
The chief minister described the meeting as positive and cordial, adding that a final arrangement would need to protect the interests of both states. He also said the process could provide a model for resolving similar inter-state river disputes.
The Mahanadi is a major source of water for both Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Majhi said the central concerns raised by Odisha included adequate water availability for irrigation, drinking water and other development needs. “I raised these issues in today’s meeting as well. The progress under the CWC over the last two months has been satisfactory. All relevant documents have been submitted,” he said.
The dispute has been under discussion through multiple institutional and political channels. The chief ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh met in July and August 2025 to begin discussions, followed by several rounds of talks between the chief secretaries and water resources secretaries of the two states.
In July this year, another meeting was convened under the Union Jal Shakti minister. Odisha and Chhattisgarh agreed at that stage to work towards a resolution through a framework led by the CWC. The latest meeting indicates that the commission’s technical process is now being used as the principal mechanism for bringing the states closer to an agreement.
The dispute also remains before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, which is scheduled to hear the matter on October 15. A technical committee under the CWC, with representatives from Odisha and Chhattisgarh, is scheduled to meet on October 13.
The upcoming committee meeting and tribunal hearing will provide the next formal steps in a process that both states have said should address water availability for agriculture, drinking water and development while safeguarding their respective interests.