The BJP assuming power in the states of Odisha and Chhatisgarh has generated the hope that the long-standing Mahanadi river water-sharing dispute will finally be solved. Union Minister for Jal Shakti C R Patil, during his visit to Odisha, assured on Thursday that the issue would be resolved soon.
Mahanadi is a major river in India with a length of 900 km. It originates from a pool at Farsiya village in the Dhamtari district of Chhatisgarh and ends in the Bay of Bengal in Odisha, covering both states. It drains an area of around 132,100 sq. km. and is the oldest river in East-Central India.
Besides major parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha, the catchment area of its basin also extends to Jharkhand, Maharastra and Madhya Pradesh. The basin receives about 90% of its rainfall during the monsoon season. The average annual rainfall of Mahanadi is 66.9 billion cubic metres.
Out of the total length of Mahanadi from origin to outfall, 357 km lies in Chhatisgarh and 494 km in Odisha.
Mahanadi is more known for Hirakud Dam in western Odisha which was the first major multi-purpose river valley project after India’s independence in 1947. It provides irrigation and generates hydel power besides meeting the water needs of industries set up in nearby areas. Lately, it has been helping tourism besides fish production through cage culture. It has also been proposed to produce solar power by spreading solar panels upon vast tracts of the reservoir.
During the last few years particularly after the formation of the new Chhattisgarh state, the issue of the Mahanadi water dispute has arisen. Sharing of Mahanadi river water has been a bone of contention between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
The main complaint of Odisha is that the Chhatisgarh government has been building dams and barrages on the upper stream of Mahanadi, and in the process, reduced the flow of water into the Odisha part of Mahanadi, especially during the lean season.
The earlier Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha filed a complaint before the Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (now Ministry of Jal Shakti) under the inter-state River-Water Disputes Act. The state requested the centre to constitute a Tribunal under the act for adjudication of the water disputes over river Mahanadi and its basin between the riparian states of Odisha and Chhatisgarh and refer the complaint to the tribunal.
The Government of India constituted a negotiation committee for the settlement of the dispute through negotiations. As it did not serve the purpose, the central government constituted the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal on March 12, 2018.
The matter is under adjudication of the Tribunal. The Tribunal’s time has been extended ever since citing reasons, including Covid. Now its tenure has further been extended up to April 13, 2026.
The government of Odisha approached the Centre because the many upstream projects built by Chhatisgarh will have long-term effects on the flow downstream, especially during the lean period. While it will affect the ecologically sensitive coastal and delta area of Mahanadi, the projects upstream of Hirakud will also impact the long-term flows downstream in Odisha. That prompted Odisha, at one point, to demand that Chhatisgarh stop all construction works for a few months.
Chhatisgarh said 52.9% of the catchment of Mahanadi and 89.9% of the catchment up to Hirakud lie in their state and they had a right to use the water of Mahanadi. The state pointed out that Odisha had also started certain major and medium projects without informing them as an upper riparian state.
In 2016, the Union Water Resources Minister held two meetings with the Chief Ministers of both states where some decisions were taken. The issue, however, could not be settled, resulting in the formation of the Tribunal.
Now that Naveen Patnaik has been replaced by the BJP government led by Mohan Charan Majhi, hopes are that the dispute will be amicably settled since the party also rules Chhattisgarh.
Patil told media on Thursday that the Tribunal is leaving no stone unturned to resolve the matter as soon as possible. "We are committed to finding a fair and equitable solution that benefits both states."
But, how the solution will satisfy the people of Odisha, mainly the public in western districts bordering Chhatisgarh, is to be seen. When the dispute arose, the BJD, which was in power in Odisha, had made it a political issue. Now, the BJD is the main opposition party with very good strength in the state assembly. The party has already taken an aggressive approach against BJP, particularly the state government. If the Mahanadi solution doesn’t satisfy it, then the issue will likely remain.
