Odisha and Chhattisgarh move toward an amicable settlement in Mahanadi water dispute

The Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh has returned to the spotlight as the Odisha government indicates the two BJP-ruled states are moving closer to an amicable solution, even though the opposition BJD calls the bid an eyewash. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended a meeting in New Delhi chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah alongside Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, stating that a resolution framework will be released very soon. Majhi noted that administrative and political pathways have been expanded alongside the legal process, with a resolution expected to serve as a model dispute resolution mechanism for other states. The BJP has accelerated these settlement efforts since coming to power in Odisha in June 2024, even while the dispute remains pending before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal. Recent talks began in July and August 2025 with meetings between state officials, chief secretaries, and water resources secretaries to discuss technical aspects. During a July meeting between the two chief ministers, it was provisionally decided to find a path to a resolution within three months, and Majhi reported satisfactory progress after two months. Sai stated on X that the cooperative approach aims to strengthen irrigation systems and open doors for new projects on the river. For Odisha, the Mahanadi is central to irrigation, drinking water, flood management, hydropower, and broader negotiations, with Majhi stressing at the meeting that the state requires an adequate share of water. The Mahanadi river originates near Pharsiya village in Chhattisgarh's Raipur district, flowing 851 km total, with 357 km in Chhattisgarh and 494 km in Odisha, covering 14 districts in Odisha's wider basin. An early settlement carries political significance for the BJP ahead of panchayat and urban local body elections in Odisha early next year, contrasting with the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government that governed when the dispute entered the legal process in 2016.

Reactions

Bargarh BJP MP Pradeep Purohit accused the previous BJD government of keeping the dispute alive for political reasons by opting for the tribunal route rather than an amicable settlement, adding that a triple-engine government will help secure Odisha's due share. The BJD questioned the substance of the latest talks and demanded that the decisions from Thursday's meeting be made public. Senior BJD leader and former minister Arun Kumar Sahoo warned the meeting should not become an exercise aimed at local body elections, noting a lack of clarity on whether the dispute will be resolved through a tribunal or mutual discussions, and demanding answers regarding non-monsoon water and Chhattisgarh's barrages. Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das also criticized the BJP governments, stating the state has yet to receive its due share of Mahanadi water. The dispute began in 2016 when Odisha objected to Chhattisgarh's construction of barrages and structures on the Mahanadi and its tributaries, arguing it would reduce downstream flows during the non-monsoon period. Chhattisgarh maintained it has the right to use water based on its catchment area, while the Centre constituted the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal in March 2018 following Supreme Court intervention, with its tenure currently extended until January 13, 2027.

Context

Inter-state river water disputes in India often involve complex negotiations between upstream and downstream states over sharing resources for agriculture, drinking water, and power generation. Tribunals are formed under central legislation to adjudicate these matters when states fail to reach a consensus, though parallel political negotiations frequently occur alongside formal legal proceedings. Local elections and shifting political alignments in the concerned states often influence the pace and public discourse surrounding such long-standing resource sharing disagreements.