AG meeting on Mahanadi dispute remains inconclusive

New Delhi: The meeting held between Advocate Generals (AG) of Odisha and Chhattisgarh to amicably resolve the Mahanadi river water dispute, following the directions of Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT), has remained inconclusive.

According to sources, the legal teams of both states, headed by Advocate Generals, met March 16 here and discussed the issue but the matter couldn’t be sorted out.

The tribunal will hear the interim application of Odisha March 30 and likely to pronounce an order as both the states couldn’t resolve the dispute amicably despite repeated recommendation of the tribunal.

This was the third meeting of the representatives of both states. Earlier, the officers and technical experts from both states had held meeting February 25 to resolve the conflict but remained unsuccessful.

Notably, the MWDT March 9 directed the advocate generals of both states to hold discussion for amicable settlement of interim dispute and deferred the pronouncement of judgment till March 30. In the meeting held February 25, officials from Odisha had put forth their demand before the representatives of Chhattisgarh to maintain 1.252 million acre feet (MAF) water flow at the Hirakud Dam during non-monsoon months. However, the state of Chhattisgarh did not agree to Odisha’s demand.

Significantly, Odisha had filed an interim application in the tribunal seeking stay on the operation of barrages being built by Chhattisgarh on Mahanadi River and maintain 1.74 MAF flow of the river water to the state during non-monsoon months, November to May.