Mahanadi Water Dispute Back in Focus as Tribunal Nears End of Tenure

Bhubaneswar: With the tenure of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) set to expire in April, the long-pending inter-state water-sharing issue has once again come under political spotlight in Odisha.

Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Friday accused the previous state government of failing to adequately defend Odisha’s interests before the tribunal. Addressing the media after a high-level meeting, Pujari alleged that no serious effort was made during the earlier government’s tenure to present Odisha’s case effectively.

“For four to five years, Odisha examined only one witness. There was no proper written statement and no strong arguments were advanced before the tribunal,” the Minister said.

The MWDT was constituted in March 2018 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, after Odisha and Chhattisgarh failed to reach a mutual agreement on sharing Mahanadi river waters.

Pujari further claimed that a statement made by the then Water Resources Minister in the Odisha Assembly — stating that the construction of barrages in Chhattisgarh would not harm Odisha or the Mahanadi river — was later used by Chhattisgarh as evidence before the tribunal.

“That statement became a strong tool for Chhattisgarh to argue that the barrages caused no damage to Odisha or the river,” he said, adding that over 500 such structures were reportedly constructed in Chhattisgarh between 2014 and 2024 without strong objections from the previous Odisha government.

Stating that the present government has inherited the issue, Pujari assured that all efforts would now be made to safeguard Odisha’s water rights. “We will use our full wit and wisdom to argue the case and ensure justice for Odisha,” he said.

The Minister noted that the tribunal’s tenure will end on April 13 and pointed out that proceedings were delayed due to a nine-month vacancy in the post of the presiding officer.

“We have requested the tribunal and the Central Government to extend its tenure by at least nine months, or preferably until the hearings are completed,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Mahanadi Bachao Andolan has expressed dissatisfaction over the Odisha Chief Minister’s silence on reports alleging that Chhattisgarh has blocked the river’s flow by constructing a sand embankment downstream of the Kalma Barrage.

The organisation has reportedly written to the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and announced that a team will visit the Kalma Barrage on January 27 to assess the situation. It also warned that if the embankment is not dismantled by the Chhattisgarh government, people may take action themselves, with the organisation initiating further steps.