Bhubaneswar, October 12: The Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) will hear the long-standing water-sharing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh on October 15, with the report of the expanded technical committee of the Central Water Commission (CWC) expected to be a key agenda item.

It is learnt that both states have informed the Tribunal that the expanded technical committee will meet on October 13 to resolve several contentious issues concerning the sharing and utilisation of Mahanadi river water.

One of the key points of disagreement is whether, considering the hydrological conditions of the Mahanadi River, any flow between November and May can be classified as the minimum non-monsoon flow, as claimed by Odisha.

The other contentious issue concerns Chhattisgarh’s right to draw water from the Hirakud reservoir through the Kalma barrage, which has been constructed in the reservoir’s foreshore area.

If the expanded technical committee reaches a consensus on these issues, its findings are likely to be placed before the Tribunal during the October 15 hearing.

The hearing comes close on the heels of a high-level meeting held in New Delhi on October 1 under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, his Chhattisgarh counterpart Vishnu Deo Sai, and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil attended the meeting, which aimed to explore an amicable settlement outside the Tribunal proceedings.

Both states have agreed in principle to accept a framework mediated by the CWC to resolve the dispute.

Meanwhile, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has urged Chief Minister Majhi to convene an all-party meeting before the October 13 meeting of the expanded technical committee to discuss the Odisha government’s position on the contentious issues.

BJD said the party had been demanding that the discussions between the two chief ministers, as well as the deliberations of the technical committee, be made public.

“The interests of Odisha should not be sacrificed,” Mohanty said, stressing the need for transparency in the negotiations over the sharing of Mahanadi water.