A high-level meeting on the Mahanadi water dispute, involving Odisha, Chhattisgarh and the Centre, is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on Thursday under the chairmanship of Union home minister Amit Shah. Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Union Jal Shakti minister C R Patil are expected to participate in the discussions.
The meeting is being viewed by Odisha authorities as a significant step towards a negotiated settlement of the long-running interstate river dispute. Majhi is scheduled to travel to New Delhi for the meeting and return the same evening, according to the report. The discussions come nearly two months after the Odisha chief minister expressed optimism that the issue could be settled through dialogue by Diwali.
Odisha revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari said the state government remained committed to resolving the dispute through discussions. He pointed to an earlier meeting between the chief ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh, chaired by Patil, as evidence that both states were willing to pursue a solution.
“The resolution will safeguard the interests of both Odisha and Chhattisgarh, particularly those of farmers dependent on the Mahanadi waters,” Pujari said.
Odisha advocate general Pitambar Acharya described the proposed meeting as a possible milestone in efforts to resolve the dispute. He said Odisha had consistently maintained that the matter could be settled through mutual discussions and consensus.
The political-level meeting follows technical discussions held on Monday by a committee comprising officials from Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for October 13. It is examining the water-sharing formula, the availability of river water, upstream projects, basin management and the reconciliation of hydrological data shared by the two states.
Officials said the panel is assessing existing and proposed water utilisation and hydrological conditions during both monsoon and non-monsoon periods. The discussions are based on data submitted by the states and deliberations held during the second meeting of a working group. The technical process is intended to address contentious issues point by point before any broader settlement is reached.
The dispute has been under formal adjudication since the Centre constituted the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal in March 2018 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. The tribunal was set up after Odisha approached the Supreme Court in December 2016 over upstream projects in Chhattisgarh.
The Odisha government has favoured a negotiated settlement since taking office, arguing that prolonged litigation could delay a resolution. The Centre extended the tribunal’s tenure by nine months in April, taking it up to January 13, 2027. The tribunal is scheduled to consider the matter again on October 15, shortly after the next technical committee meeting.