Bhubaneswar: The Mahanadi Bachao Andolan (MBA) has alleged that data submitted before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal on water availability and storage in the Mahanadi river basin was “misleading” and detrimental to the interests of Odisha and the river.
Addressing a press conference here, MBA convener Sudarsan Das said Thursday that during the tribunal hearing held on May 2, both Odisha and Chhattisgarh presented data prepared by a Joint Technical Committee on water availability in the Mahanadi basin.
According to the submitted figures, total water availability in the basin has been pegged at 62.36 million acre-feet, including 28.48 million acre-feet at the Odisha–Chhattisgarh border, 32.83 million acre-feet near Hirakud, and 56.29 million acre-feet near Naraj.
Das alleged that the figures create an impression that Odisha has abundant water resources in the Mahanadi basin and that its dispute with Chhattisgarh lacks justification. He argued that the data contradicts statements earlier made by Mohan Charan Majhi in the State Assembly.
Referring to a reply given August 29, 2025, to a question raised by MLA Prasanta Jagadev, Mohan Charan Majhi had reportedly stated that construction of 41 major and medium projects and 1,874 minor water projects upstream in Chhattisgarh had significantly reduced non-monsoon water flow in the Mahanadi, affecting the functioning of the Hirakud Dam.
The activists said Odisha had earlier informed both the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court of India that extensive river projects in Chhattisgarh were causing severe downstream water shortages during non-monsoon months. They also noted that Odisha had previously challenged Chhattisgarh’s claim of utilising 27.48 million acre-feet of water, asserting that only 24.27 million acre-feet was actually available in the basin there.
The organisation further alleged that several river water projects in Chhattisgarh were either illegal or lacked environmental clearances. It claimed that the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) had issued notices over such projects in 2016. The activists claimed Odisha had earlier submitted evidence before the tribunal showing a sharp decline in water inflow into Hirakud Dam.
According to them, the average inflow fell from 1.252 million acre-feet during 2005–06 to 2015–16 to 0.702 million acre-feet in 2017 — a drop of nearly 44 per cent. The movement warned that resolving the dispute on the basis of the current data could deprive Odisha of its rightful water share and threaten the survival of the Mahanadi. The organisation announced that it would seek an appointment with the CM to discuss the issue.