The Second meeting of the Inter- Ministerial Committee on Mahanadi Water Dispute held today

Bhubaneswar, Jan 2026 : The second meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Amicable Resolution of the Mahanadi Water Dispute was held on 17th January 2026 at Rajib Bhawan, Bhubaneswar, under the chairmanship of Shri K. V. Singh Deo, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha.

The meeting was attended by Hon’ble Ministers Shri Suresh Pujari and Shri P. Harichandan, along with Hon’ble MLAs Shri Saroj Kumar Pradhan, Shri Niranjan Pujari, and Ms. Sofia Firdous. The Learned Advocate General was also present along with the concerned officers and engineers of DoWR were also present in the meeting to give necessary inputs to the Committee.

After detailed deliberations, the Committee agreed that:

Along with the proceedings before the Tribunal, the Committee suggested exploring alternative solutions to address the challenges faced by the State of Odisha due to the construction of industrial barrages across the main Mahanadi River upstream of Hirakud by the State of Chhattisgarh. Dialogue between the Government of Chhattisgarh should be initiated.

Prior to initiating discussions with the Government of Chhattisgarh, discussion should be held with different stakeholders. Accordingly, Inter-Ministerial Committee of Odisha would plan to visit Chhattisgarh.

Team Maverick.