Bhubaneswar, February 4: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday said that the State Government has requested the Centre to extend the tenure of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal by nine months.
“We have written to the Centre seeking a nine-month extension of the tenure of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, whose current term is nearing completion. We want an amicable solution to the dispute,” said the Revenue Minister.
He said, “The State Government has requested the Central Government to step in as mediator to help resolve the long-pending water-sharing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.”
For the context, though the Tribunal was constituted in March 2018, the Centre recalculated its effective date as December 2019 by excluding non-functional periods before that. Following Odisha Government's request, the Central Government extended the Tribunal's tenure by two years - from April 2024 to April 2026.
The Tribunal during its hearing on December 20, 2025 had asked the party States to submit a joint application as its tenure will be over on April 13, 2026.
The development comes amid renewed attempts by both Odisha and Chhattisgarh Governments to find an amicable solution to the longstanding disputes.
“Our focus remains on avoiding prolonged litigation and arriving at a mutually acceptable water-sharing formula through negotiations, with mediation by the Central Government playing a key role,” said Minister Pujari.
Earlier, Minister Pujari said that since the tribunal remained non-functional for nine months due to vacancy in the Chairperson’s post, Odisha Government will request the Centre to extend its tenure by an equivalent period.
Justice A M Khanwilkar resigned as Tribunal Chairperson in March 2024, leaving the post vacant for nine months until the appointment of Justice Bela M Trivedi in December 2024.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Government has already constituted an all-party high-level committee, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, to guide policy and facilitate inter-State talks to resolve the crisis.
