Bhubaneswar, 4th Aug 2025: A meeting was held today by the Mahanadi Banchao Andolan (Save Mahanadi Movement) to discuss a negotiated resolution of the Mahanadi water dispute. Representatives from all political parties of Odisha, along with social organizations and subject matter experts, participated in the meeting.
The proposal for an amicable resolution of the water dispute with Chhattisgarh was unanimously welcomed. It was suggested that if the government is willing, it should immediately convene a meeting involving representatives from all political parties, river movement activists, river experts, and intellectuals. Based on consensus reached in this meeting, discussions with Chhattisgarh should be initiated.
A decision was also made to organize a dialogue with Chhattisgarh in the last week of August. The Odisha government must present a comprehensive survey to the Chhattisgarh government as part of the negotiation process. It was emphasized that 1.74 MAF (Million Acre-Feet) of water must be allowed to flow to Odisha during non-monsoon periods.
To protect the Mahanadi and its basin, a proposal has been submitted to the Central Government to constitute the Mahanadi River Board under Article 262 of the Constitution. A decision was also taken to prepare a detailed technical report and submit it to the State Government, Central Government, and Central Water Commission. For this purpose, a task force has been formed.
Call for Intervention by the President and Prime Minister
The meeting, planned for the last week of August in Chhattisgarh, saw participation from former officials and political leaders including former Water Resources Secretary Arvind Behera, former ministers Brajakishore Tripathy and Panchanan Kanungo, Prasad Harichandan, MLAs Ganeshwar Behera, Krushnachandra Jagadeb, Jayakrishna Panigrahi, Subhranshu Ray, Debi Prusty, Anil Dhir, Prahallad Singh, and Ashok Das. Sudarshan Das presided over the session as the convener.
It was also decided to organize a “River Yatra” (river journey) from Mukhagoda—where the Mahanadi enters Odisha—up to Paradip.
The meeting, chaired by Mr. Das, was attended by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhakta Charan Das, former PCC President Prasad Harichandan, MLA Arun Kumar Sahu, BJP leader Krushnachandra Jagadeb, CPM leader Pradeepta Nayak, CPI (ML) leader Ashok Pradhan, Forward Bloc leader Jyotiranjan Mahapatra, Purnachandra Padhi, NCP leader Bikram Swain, and RJD leader Hem Kumar.
Scholars and intellectuals like Debiprasanna Pattnaik, Shivananda Ray, Manoranjan Mishra, Nirupama Patra, Basudev Bhatt, Manoj Jena, Prasanna Bishoyi, Ashok Paikaray, Chidananda Jena, Akshaya Mallik, Sachikanta Pradhan, Bijaya Pradhan, and Arun Jena also presented their views.
Prabhasini Raut and Debiprasad Maharana performed songs dedicated to the Mahanadi river.
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