Odisha CM Signals Resolution for Decades-Old Mahanadi Water Dispute

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced that the long-standing Mahanadi river water dispute with Chhattisgarh is expected to reach a negotiated settlement before Diwali, following constructive tripartite discussions involving Union Ministry officials.

The dispute centers on the construction of several barrages and upstream storage dams by Chhattisgarh on the upper catchment area of the Mahanadi River. Odisha argues these structures significantly restrict non-monsoonal water flow into the Hirakud Reservoir, adversely affecting agriculture, drinking water supply, and ecology in downstream regions.

The conflict led to the constitution of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal in 2018 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. However, delayed tribunal adjudications pushed both states toward negotiated executive settlements to determine seasonal baseline water flows and joint monitoring mechanisms.

Inter-state river disputes are core topics in Indian Polity. Candidates must master constitutional frameworks like Article 262, statutory bodies formed under the 1956 Act, major tributaries of the Mahanadi (Seonath, Tel, Ib, Mand), and key hydraulic structures like Hirakud Dam.