Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday said the long-pending Mahanadi water-sharing dispute with Chhattisgarh was moving towards a “constructive resolution” through dialogue and cooperation.
Majhi said he participated in a meeting in New Delhi on the sharing and management of Mahanadi waters, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.
“Odisha’s interests, the future of our farmers and the protection of our water resources were firmly placed before the meeting,” Majhi said in a post on X.
He said two months had elapsed out of the three-month timeline given to the Central Water Commission (CWC) for facilitating progress on the issue, adding that data exchange and consultations between Odisha and Chhattisgarh were proceeding as scheduled.
The chief minister credited the “concerted efforts” of the BJP governments at the Centre and in Odisha with moving the decades-old dispute towards a possible resolution.
“The Mahanadi is Odisha’s lifeline and a source of sustenance for crores of our people,” Majhi said, stressing the importance of safeguarding the state’s water resources.
He said the Odisha government remained committed to resolving the issue through dialogue, cooperation and mutual understanding under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and with the support of Shah.
“A lasting and mutually acceptable resolution to the Mahanadi issue can serve as a Model Dispute Resolution for the country,” Majhi said.
