Almost six months after Odisha and Chhattisgarh agreed on an “amicable solution” to resolve the long-pending Mahanadi water dispute, the tribunal formed to adjudicate the matter has given the states a last opportunity to devise a settlement formula.
In its April 20 order, the Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) warned that it will proceed on merits if the two states are unable to finalise the settlement formula and ‘place on record’ any consensus on the issues by May 2.
Headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Bela M Trivedi, the tribunal also expressed its displeasure with the manner in which the proceedings of the references are being conducted.
What is the Mahanadi River dispute?
The Mahanadi originates in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district and flows through Odisha, finally draining into the Bay of Bengal. It is a key river system in the region and has led to water-sharing disputes between the states since 2016.
Odisha has alleged that Chhattisgarh has “unilaterally constructed” at least eight barrages along the river, which have impacted its flow into the state during the non-monsoon period. Odisha has termed the river a lifeline for the state, given its significance for agriculture, fisheries and power generation. According to official data, Mahanadi has a total catchment area of 1,41,600 sq km, of which 45.73% falls in Odisha, 53.9% in Chhattisgarh and a small patch in Madhya Pradesh.
Chhattisgarh, on the other hand, has argued that given the large catchment area in the state, it was within its rights to use the river water. Chhattisgarh also pointed out that Odisha had commenced certain major and medium projects without informing it as the upper riparian State.
In 2016, the Union government tried to resolve the issue with a tripartite meeting, attended by the then Chief Ministers — Naveen Patnaik of Odisha and Raman Singh of Chhattisgarh. Union Water Resources Minister, Uma Bharti, chaired the meeting.
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Even though the Centre suggested that both states resolve the matter amicably, Odisha has long pressed for a legal solution to the problem and demanded a tribunal to resolve the issue, accusing the Centre of siding with Chhattisgarh.
The legal battle
The water dispute reached the Supreme Court in December 2016 after the then BJD government in Odisha filed an original suit under Article 131, seeking an injunction against Chhattisgarh to prevent it from constructing barrages along the river. The Odisha government’s move came barely a month after it filed a statutory complaint with the Centre, demanding a tribunal under the Interstate Water Dispute Act, 1956.
Hailing the apex court’s January 2018 directive to the Centre to form a tribunal within a month as a “moral victory”, CM Patnaik claimed it vindicated the Odisha government’s stance.
On the other hand, Chhattisgarh was in favour of a joint control board (JCB) supervising projects on the river, in accordance with a 1983 agreement between Odisha and Madhya Pradesh (out of which Chhattisgarh was carved out in 2000).
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In March 2018, the Centre constituted a three-member Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal with retired Supreme Court judge Justice A M Khanwilkar as its chairman. The panel has received multiple extensions, the latest upto April 2026 — this month. Following Khanwilkar’s resignation in March 2024, the committee is currently headed by Supreme Court judge Justice Bela Trivedi.
Why both states opted for amicable settlement
The dispute had also become a political issue in Odisha. Following the BJP’s success in the local body elections of 2017, the BJD sought to use the Mahanadi to portray the BJP as being anti-Odisha and pro-Chhattisgarh (where it was then in power).
Odisha’s stance on a legal settlement changed after the BJP came to power in the state in 2024, bringing an end to Patnaik’s 24-year tenure. It had also called for an amicable solution to the issue while in opposition. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi wrote to his Chhattisgarh counterpart, Vishnu Deo Sai, last August for a “mutually beneficial settlement”. Sai reciprocated, saying the proposal was “under active consideration”.
The BJP government in Odisha also formed a high-level committee headed by Deputy CM K V Singh Deo and comprising MLAs from the BJP, BJD and Congress, tasked with the job of guiding the government to resolve the issue. Even as officials of both states met multiple times to finalise the settlement formula, they have yet to reach a consensus.
