The first meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Mahanadi interstate water issues was held on Monday at Rajiv Bhawan, Department of Water Resources, Bhubaneswar. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Shri K.V. Singh Deo, marking an important step in strengthening Odisha’s position on the long-pending Mahanadi water dispute.
High-Level Participation
The meeting witnessed the presence of senior ministers Shri Suresh Pujari, Shri Prithviraj Harichandan, and Shri Sampad Chandra Swain. Several legislators also attended, including Shri Saroj Kumar Pradhan, Shri Niranjan Pujari, and Ms. Sofia Firdous. Senior MLA Shri Jayanarayan Mishra participated in the meeting virtually.
Top bureaucrats were also present to provide technical and administrative inputs. These included Chief Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja and Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Smt. Anu Garg, along with senior officers and engineers from the Department of Water Resources (DoWR).
Key Issues Discussed
During the meeting, the committee held preliminary discussions on several crucial aspects of the Mahanadi water dispute. These included the Hirakud Project, the historical background of the interstate dispute, and the current status of proceedings before the Hon’ble Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal.
The committee also deliberated on the possibility of an amicable settlement of Mahanadi-related issues and reviewed the overall status of matters concerning the Mahanadi river basin.
Way Forward
It was decided that the next meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee will be convened in January 2026. The upcoming meeting will focus on further consolidating Odisha’s position and advancing efforts towards a mutually acceptable resolution of the interstate Mahanadi water issues.
The formation and early functioning of the committee reflect the state government’s intent to address the dispute in a structured and coordinated manner.