Amit Shah To Mediate Odisha-Chhattisgarh Mahanadi Water Dispute In Crucial Delhi Meeting Today

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting in the national capital to push for a resolution of the decade-long Mahanadi River water-sharing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The meeting brought together Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and senior officials, marking the Centre’s latest political intervention in a dispute that has remained unresolved despite years of litigation and technical talks. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said he would participate in the discussions and expressed confidence that the two states could move towards a settlement. He said Odisha and Chhattisgarh had decided that they would comply with the decision taken by the Central Water Commission (CWC) in the matter, adding that both Chief Ministers had written to the CWC expressing their willingness to accept its decision. The statement is significant because it indicates a potential shift from adversarial proceedings towards an agreed technical framework for sharing and managing the river’s waters.

The Mahanadi originates in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district and flows through Odisha before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. It is a lifeline for agriculture, drinking water, industry and power generation in both states. The dispute, however, is not merely about the river’s annual flow; it concerns how much water each state may use, how upstream projects affect downstream availability, and how the states should share water during the lean, non-monsoon months. The present dispute began to take shape in 2016, when Odisha objected to the construction and operation of barrages by Chhattisgarh across the Mahanadi and its tributaries. Odisha alleged that six industrial barrages—Samoda, Seorinarayan, Basantpur, Mirouni, Saradiha and Kalma—were intercepting water upstream and reducing the flow reaching the Hirakud reservoir in Odisha, particularly during the non-monsoon season. The Hirakud dam, located near the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border, is central to Odisha’s irrigation, drinking-water and power needs, making any perceived reduction in inflow a matter of major concern for the state.

Odisha filed a complaint with the Union government on November 19, 2016, under Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. It sought a determination of the minimum flow required in the Hirakud dam, the states’ respective shares in minimum and surplus flows, and restrictions on upstream projects that could affect downstream water availability. The state also moved the Supreme Court, seeking restraint on the construction and operation of the six barrages and on future upstream projects. In January 2018, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to constitute a tribunal for adjudication of the dispute. The Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal was subsequently notified on March 12, 2018, under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. The tribunal is examining the competing claims of the two states and has framed 46 issues for adjudication, of which 31 remain pending. Its proceedings have continued alongside efforts by the Centre, the CWC and the two governments to arrive at a negotiated settlement.

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Chhattisgarh has consistently maintained that its barrages and water projects are necessary for irrigation, drinking water and industrial development within its territory. It has argued that its utilisation of Mahanadi waters is legitimate and that Odisha’s concerns exaggerate the impact of upstream structures. Odisha, on the other hand, has insisted that an equitable allocation must protect the downstream state’s historical and present use of the river, especially during periods of low rainfall when water stress is most acute. The stakes are high for both states. For Odisha, the dispute affects water security in western and central parts of the state, including areas dependent on the Hirakud reservoir. For Chhattisgarh, a restrictive adjudication could constrain future irrigation, industrial and urban water projects. The dispute has also carried political weight in both states, with parties using the issue to question each other’s commitment to protecting farmers, water users and regional development interests.

The tribunal had, in an order dated April 20, 2026, granted the two states one final opportunity to reach a consensus and place it on record, failing which it said it would proceed to adjudicate the matter on its merits. Thursday’s meeting therefore comes at a critical point: a negotiated understanding could help avoid a prolonged verdict-driven settlement, while continued disagreement could leave the final outcome to the tribunal. With both Chief Ministers present and the CWC expected to play a central role, the meeting is being viewed as an attempt to convert recent diplomatic signals into a workable agreement. If the states accept a CWC-backed formula on water availability, lean-season flows and future project planning, it could provide a lasting framework for cooperative management of the Mahanadi basin. Until then, Odisha and Chhattisgarh remain caught between the need for development and the challenge of sharing a river fairly.

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