Mahanadi Tribunal gives final opportunity to Odisha and Chhattisgarh

The Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) on Monday issued a warning to Odisha and Chhattisgarh regarding the Mahanadi River water sharing formula as both States failed to place concrete proposal for mutual settlement. The tribunal chaired by Justice Bela M. Trivedi and comprising members Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Indermeet Kaur Kochhar has given last opportunity to the two States to come up with settlement formula by May 2, 2026 which is the next date of hearing. If both the states fail to come to a conclusion, then the MWDT will go ahead with its own formula.

Mahanadi River System

• The Mahanadi river system originates from the highlands of Dandakaranya region in Chhattisgarh and flows through Odisha before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. 
• Its source is located at about 442 meters (1,450 feet) near the village of Pharsiya in the Raipur district.
• The total Mahanadi River length of over 850 kilometres making it one of the significant river basins of the Peninsular drainage system.
• It is also called the Sorrow of Odisha.
• The Mahanadi is known for being one of the most active silt-depositing streams in the Indian subcontinent.

• The left bank tributaries of Mahanadi river are: Seonath, Hasdeo, Mand, and Ib.
• Whereas the right bank tributaries of the river are: Ong, Tel and Jonk.
• Major cities located on the banks of river Mahanadi are: Dhamtari, Raipur, Sambhaipur, Cuttack and Paradip.
• The famous projects on the Mahanadi River are: Hirakud Dam, Gangrel Dam and Dudhwa Dam.

Article 262 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to legislate on inter-state river disputes. The Centre constituted a negotiation committee, which submitted its report in May 2017. Upon the failure of the committee, the court directed Centre to constitute a tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (the act provides for the establishment of tribunals to adjudicate disputes, ensuring a quasi-judicial resolution mechanism). The Centre has now extended tribunal’s tenure by 9 months, pushing its deadline to January 13, 2027.