Bhubaneswar: As Odisha and Chhattisgarh move closer towards a consensus on the Mahanadi water-sharing dispute, the opposition BJD Saturday alleged that the state’s BJP government has “completely surrendered” before the neighbouring state.
Addressing a press conference, BJD leaders Rohit Pujari and Bhrugu Buxipatra alleged that the joint technical committee report on the ground situation submitted before the Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) was far from reality.
“The Odisha BJP government has accepted Chhattisgarh’s claims that there is enough water in our state’s territory,” Pujari alleged, adding that the report was approved by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi before being submitted to the tribunal.
“There is absolutely no consistency between the information provided by the chief minister in the Odisha Legislative Assembly last year and the data submitted before the tribunal last month,” he said.
Buxipatra said it was unfortunate that the state government had taken a position favourable to Chhattisgarh and corporate entities.
“The joint technical committee report submitted before the tribunal said 62.36 million acre-feet of water is available in the Mahanadi basin, with 28.48 million acre-feet available at the Chhattisgarh–Odisha border, 32.83 million acre-feet near Hirakud, and 56.29 million acre-feet near Naraj in Cuttack. This clearly suggests that there is abundant water in the Mahanadi in Odisha and that there is no genuine basis for any dispute with Chhattisgarh,” Buxipatra said.
The BJD leaders, however, pointed out that according to information furnished by the CM in the Assembly on August 25, 2025, construction of dams by Chhattisgarh in the upper reaches of the Mahanadi had reduced water flow into Odisha during the non-monsoon season.
The BJP government, which had earlier claimed it would resolve the Mahanadi water-sharing dispute immediately after coming to power, has “surrendered” before Chhattisgarh, the BJD alleged, demanding that the state government immediately publish a White Paper on the issue.
They said the previous BJD government had firmly presented Odisha’s case before the Supreme Court, following which the tribunal was constituted in 2018.
“At a time when the Mahanadi has been running dry, agreeing before the tribunal that sufficient water is available amounts to the ultimate mockery of the people of Odisha by the double-engine government,” the BJD said.
Meanwhile, Odisha’s Advocate General Pitambar Acharya said the state’s interests were in no way compromised in the Mahanadi water dispute.
The tribunal hearing the dispute between the two states on Saturday reviewed the progress made in resolving contentious issues, with the next hearing scheduled for July 11.
Officials said both states have reached consensus on several aspects of the dispute after multiple rounds of discussions, while the tribunal examined the status of remaining unresolved issues, particularly those relating to water allocation.
Ahead of the next hearing, a secretaries-level meeting between the two states will be held to resolve differences.
The technical committee constituted to address the dispute has so far held 20 meetings, focusing on assessing water requirements of both states and reconciling data on storage and utilisation.
“After seven rounds of talks, there has been consensus on several issues. The main issue concerning sharing of water, including the water requirements of both states and the quantity of water being stored, is being reconciled and is gradually moving towards a solution through consensus,” Acharya said.