A high-level 10-member team from the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, led by Chairperson Justice Bela M. Trivedi, arrived in Odisha on Thursday evening to conduct an on-ground assessment of the long-standing water-sharing dispute with Chhattisgarh.
The delegation, which includes Justices Dr Devi Ranjan and Indermit Kaur Kochhar, along with technical experts, landed at Jharsuguda Airport at 6:25 pm on February 26. The Odisha government has declared the team “state guests” and made elaborate arrangements for their stay, security, and movement. The members, accompanied by their families, spent the night at Ashok Niwas in Burla.
On Friday morning, the team carried out a detailed inspection of the Hirakud Dam complex, including the spillway, power house, command area, and the Mahanadi river basin. They also visited the Chipilima Power House and reviewed water management infrastructure. Later in the day, the team is scheduled to offer prayers at Maa Samaleswari Temple in Sambalpur.
Speaking on the occasion, Odisha Advocate General Pitambar Acharya said judicial intervention alone cannot resolve inter-state water disputes. “Many such cases remain pending across the country. Both states have already agreed to explore a mutual settlement,” he stated. Acharya added that the state government is working hard to ensure Odisha receives its rightful share of Mahanadi water and that no permission will be granted for any barrage at the lower reaches because of the pending case.
The visit is a follow-up to the tribunal’s 2023 inspection of sites in both Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The team is examining non-monsoon inflows, Hirakud water management, irrigation and industrial water use, drinking water supply, and the proposed river inter-linking project between Mahanadi and Brahmani rivers. They are also revisiting the proposed canal site near Kilasama in Sambalpur and key barrages in Chhattisgarh such as Kalma, Saradihi, Basantpur, and the Arpa-Bhaisajhar project that triggered the dispute.
The tour, coordinated by the Odisha Water Resources Department, will continue until March 2. The itinerary includes a visit to Puri’s Shree Jagannath Temple, where the district administration has been directed to arrange uninterrupted darshan and special puja for the entire team.
With BJP governments in power in both Odisha and Chhattisgarh, officials and locals are hopeful that this fresh on-site visit will pave the way for an amicable, out-of-court resolution.
