Odisha panel on Mahanadi dispute agrees for amicable settlement, no dilution in legal battle

Bhubaneswar, Dec 23 (PTI) The first meeting of the all-party high-level committee on the Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh on Tuesday agreed on an amicable settlement, but at the same time decided not to weaken the legal battle.

The meeting, held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo, was attended by all eight members, including three ministers -- Suresh Pujari (Revenue), Prithiviraj Harichandan (Law) and Sampad Chandra Swain (Industries) -- and MLAs Saroj Kumar Pradhan (BJP), Niranjan Pujari (BJD) and Sofia Firdous (Congress).

Senior BJP MLA Jayanarayan Mishra took part in the meeting virtually.

"All eight members of the committee agreed to resolve the dispute through negotiation. This is the responsibility of both state governments. The Odisha government will guard all interests of the state while resolving the matter," Singh Deo told reporters after the meeting.

He said the members were briefed on the Odisha government's stand on the issue, the discussions so far held with Chhattisgarh and also the matter pending in the Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT). The members will be provided with documents before the next meeting, he said.

Taking to X, Singh Deo said, "Today, I chaired the first meeting of the High-Level Committee on the Mahanadi dispute... We engaged in constructive deliberations to address the long-standing concerns. The Mahanadi is a lifeline for millions, and it is our collective duty to safeguard its flow with fairness and foresight for generations to come." After the meeting, BJD MLA and former minister Niranjan Pujari said, "We opined that an all-party meeting should be convened, stakeholders involved and public informed on what measures are being taken to resolve the dispute through negotiation. So far, there has been no such instance of river water dispute being resolved through negotiation. It has all along been done through courts. Therefore, we need to strengthen our fight in the tribunal, also at the same time." Congress member Sofia Firdous said that Odisha's interest should be priority.

"The people of the state should be informed. Many activists are fighting for Odisha's interests in the Mahanadi dispute. They should also be involved," she said.

The dispute over Mahanadi water sharing between Odisha and Chhattisgarh has landed at the tribunal with the formation of the MWDT in 2018. The tribunal was formed after Odisha alleged that the free flow of water in the Mahanadi is disturbed due to the construction of barrages in the upstream of the river by Chhattisgarh.

The next meeting of the all-party committee shall be convened in January 2026 to further consolidate the position of Odisha and to advance the process towards an amicable settlement of the Mahanadi water issues, an official release said.

The Mahanadi River is vital for Odisha as millions depend on it for irrigation, drinking water, and industry. PTI AAM AAM ACD