The Centre has extended the tenure of the Mahanadi water dispute tribunal (MWDT) by nine months, till January 27, 2027, a move welcomed by the Odisha government amid ongoing efforts to resolve the inter-state river dispute.

The tribunal’s tenure was set to end on April 13.

The extension comes as Odisha and Chhattisgarh continue discussions to resolve the long-standing dispute over the sharing of Mahanadi waters.

The Odisha government expressed hope that the additional time would help achieve a lasting solution.

Odisha law minister Prithviraj Harichandan said: “The Odisha government had requested the Centre to extend the tribunal’s tenure. We are happy that it has been done. Earlier, the matter was largely legal, but now the commission’s role has evolved into a more mediatory one. It is in touch with both states to find a solution, and we are hopeful of a long-term outcome.”

BJD vice-president and former minister Debi Prasad Mishra said over two crore people across 15 districts in Odisha depend on the Mahanadi. “The state government has constituted an inter-ministerial committee to address the issue. For various reasons, the committee did not visit Chhattisgarh earlier. With the extension, we hope it will move forward and find a solution,” he said.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das alleged injustice to the state. “More than 70 per cent of the Mahanadi catchment lies in Odisha, yet people here struggle for drinking water. The riverbed has dried up and the water table has receded. The BJP speaks of a double-engine government, but has failed to resolve the issue. It should be settled within a month,”
he said.

The Mahanadi originates in Chhattisgarh but flows largely through Odisha, serving as a lifeline for millions. The dispute arose after Chhattisgarh constructed several dams and barrages in the upper catchment between 2004 and 2016.

Odisha, being the lower riparian state, has alleged that these constructions violated environmental norms and reduced downstream water flow.

The Centre constituted the Mahanadi water dispute tribunal in 2018 to adjudicate the matter. However, no outcome has been reached in eight years despite two earlier extensions.

The Mahanadi delta spans around 95,000 sq km, with a coastline of about 200km.

Availability of safe drinking water and sanitation in the region largely depends on the river, whose flow is crucial to sustaining its fragile ecosystem.

Convener of Mahanadi Bachao Andolan, Sudarshan Das, criticised the delay. “We have been raising the issue for eight years, but the tribunal has not even delivered an interim order. What can it achieve in nine months?” he said.

He added that there is still uncertainty in Odisha over whether to pursue negotiations or continue through the tribunal route. “We will deliberate on this on April 13,” he said.

The tribunal had visited Odisha in the last week of February to study water flow in the river.