The long-running dispute over sharing of Mahanadi river water between Odisha and Chhattisgarh received a fresh push on Thursday as Chief Ministers Mohan Charan Majhi and Vishnu Deo Sai held discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. The meeting focused on the concerns of both states and the ongoing technical process facilitated by the Central Water Commission (CWC). It was decided that data sharing and consultations between the two states would continue for another month as efforts continue towards a mutually acceptable settlement.

Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, the CWC chairman, chief secretaries of Odisha and Chhattisgarh and other senior officials also attended the meeting. The discussions followed an agreement reached by Majhi and Sai in July to pursue technical-level consultations through the CWC. Both governments have since submitted information and data sought by the commission as part of the process to examine their respective water requirements and concerns.

Majhi said Odisha’s concerns relating to irrigation, flood control, hydropower generation and drinking water were raised during the meeting. He described the Mahanadi as a lifeline for Odisha and said the state needed an adequate quantity of water. The Odisha chief minister also said the two states were gradually moving closer to a solution and expressed the view that an agreement could provide a model for resolving similar inter-state disputes.

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Sai, meanwhile, stressed Chhattisgarh’s water requirements and called for a settlement based on fairness, scientific assessment, transparency and long-term sustainability. He pointed to the fact that the Mahanadi originates in Chhattisgarh and that more than half of its catchment area lies in the state. According to the position presented by Chhattisgarh, the water needs of its farmers, irrigation sector and tribal areas should be considered alongside the requirements of the downstream state.

The latest discussions build on technical meetings conducted under the CWC after the July agreement between the two chief ministers. The two states have been examining issues including water availability, projected use, irrigation, drinking water requirements and other aspects of basin management. The Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, constituted in 2018 after the dispute reached the legal process, remains the statutory forum, even as the Centre and both states pursue a negotiated settlement.

For now, no final water-sharing formula has been announced. The next month will involve continued data exchange and consultations under the CWC-led process, with both sides expected to further present their technical requirements. The latest meeting represents another step in negotiations over an issue that has remained unresolved for years, while any final agreement will have to address the water, irrigation, drinking water, hydropower and other requirements raised by both Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

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