New Delhi: The Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal on Saturday heard arguments on the long-pending Mahanadi water-sharing issue, with Odisha’s case presented by Advocate General (AG) Pitambar Acharya. The Tribunal appreciated Odisha’s present approach, while the AG strongly criticized the handling of the dispute by the previous government.
Addressing the Tribunal, AG Acharya noted that for the past seven years, the case had been pursued without focus, yielding little progress. He expressed optimism that with the Tribunal’s active intervention, weekly technical meetings between the two states, and a constructive attitude, a resolution to the dispute could finally be reached.
According to the AG, around 40 key issues remain under contention, and technical teams from Odisha and Chhattisgarh will now meet regularly to address them.
Acharya also stressed that the Mahanadi issue was essentially political in nature, and could only be resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding between the leaders of both states. He emphasized that without such political will, the dispute would remain unresolved despite legal and technical efforts.
With the Centre’s involvement, including mediation by the Union Government and the Central Water Commission, a solution appears more likely. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already spoken with the Chief Ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh, while Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil has also been briefed on the matter.
The next hearing before the Tribunal has been scheduled for October 11.
