Union Minister of Jal Shakti Chairs Meeting With Chief Ministers Of Chhattisgarh And Odisha To Settle The Mahanadi Water Dispute

30 July 2026 Delhi: Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C. R. Paatil, today chaired a meeting with Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, and Shri Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister of Odisha, to facilitate an amicable settlement of the Mahanadi Water Dispute. Senior officers of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Central Water Commission (CWC), and the Governments of both the States also attended the meeting.

The meeting marks an important step in the ongoing efforts of the Government of India to facilitate an amicable settlement of the Mahanadi Water Dispute through dialogue, technical cooperation and cooperative federalism.

Over the past several years, extensive deliberations and efforts have been made at various levels regarding the sharing of the waters of the Mahanadi. Following the request of the State of Odisha, the Government of India constituted the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) on 12 March 2018 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. The Central Government also extended the tenure of the Tribunal to ensure that all parties were provided adequate opportunity to present their views.

Recently, the process has gained further momentum with both the States demonstrating their willingness to pursue an amicable settlement through mutual cooperation and technical consultations.

The meeting also took note of the progress made by the Joint Technical Committee, which has held number of meetings and achieved consensus on several technical issues. It also noted the constitution of the expanded Technical Committee under chairmanship of Chairman Central Water Commission and comprising representatives of the Governments of Chhattisgarh and Odisha, whose first meeting was held on 29 July 2026 to take forward the remaining technical consultations.

Welcoming the Chief Ministers, Shri C. R. Paatil, Union Minister of Jal Shakti observed that the Mahanadi is a lifeline for millions of people in both the States. He emphasized that dialogue, technical cooperation and mutual trust are the most effective means of achieving an equitable, sustainable and mutually acceptable solution.

The Union Minister acknowledged the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in bringing states together to resolve long standing water disputes. The Union Minister highlighted that recent milestones, including the signing of the Yamuna Water Project Agreement, the resolution of issues relating to the implementation of the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal Award, and the consensus on the Modified Parbati–Kalisindh–Chambal (MPKC) Link Project, underscore that even the most complex inter-State water disputes can be resolved through sustained dialogue, cooperative federalism, and consensus-based decision-making.

Both the Chief Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to continue the ongoing technical consultations in a constructive spirit and appreciated the facilitation provided by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Central Water Commission.

Concluding the meeting, Shri C. R. Paatil reiterated that the objective is not merely to resolve the present dispute but to establish a long-term, equitable and sustainable framework for the management of the Mahanadi Basin. He expressed confidence that the continued constructive engagement between the two States would pave the way for a mutually acceptable and enduring settlement.