Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 1 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday said the long-standing Mahanadi River water dispute between Chhattisgarh and Odisha is on the verge of resolution, with both states and the Centre now having BJP governments.
Speaking during a foot march event from Devendra Nagar Chowk to Lal Chowk under the “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan” in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur, CM Sai said Union Home Minister Amit Shah has invited both Chief Ministers for a meeting in Delhi on Thursday to discuss the issue.
“We have a meeting in Delhi tomorrow. There has been a long-standing dispute between the governments of Odisha and Chhattisgarh regarding the Mahanadi River water; however, both states now have BJP governments, and there is a BJP government at the Centre as well. Consequently, a favourable atmosphere has been created, and this issue is now on the verge of resolution,” Sai said.
He said the meeting would be attended by both the Chief Ministers and the matter would be formally concluded in the presence of the Union Home Minister.
“Union Home Minister Amit Shah has invited both Chief Ministers for a meeting tomorrow. I am going, and the Chief Minister of Odisha will also be there; while a reconciliation has effectively already taken place between the two, it will be formalised in his presence. Very soon, this water dispute will be resolved quickly,” he said.
Earlier, on August 31, in an effort to resolve the long-standing dispute regarding the Mahanadi river, the Chief Secretaries and secretaries of the water resource departments of Chhattisgarh and Odisha held a meeting in New Delhi, and emphasised the necessity to work out an amicable solution for the benefit of the people, according to an official statement.
“It was decided that starting September 2025, technical committees comprising engineers and experts from both states will meet every week. These committees will identify key issues, seek solutions, and also explore ways to establish a framework for better coordination between the two states,” the official statement read.
Meanwhile, on July 24, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi chaired a high-level meeting to address the Mahanadi dispute with Chhattisgarh, stressing the need to resolve the issue through mutual talks with the Centre’s cooperation.
Senior officials, including the Advocate General and the Development Commissioner, were present in the meeting held at the Lok Seva Bhawan.
In 2016, the Government of Odisha submitted a complaint to the Central Government on the Mahanadi River Water Dispute under section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. The State of Odisha requested that the Union Government constitute a Tribunal under section 4(1) of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, for the Adjudication of the water disputes in respect of the inter-State river Mahanadi and its basin between the riparian States of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. (ANI)
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