Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal has issued notice under Rule 4 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Rules, 1959 to the State Governments of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to nominate their representatives for adjudication of Mahanadi River Water Disputes latest by August 6, 2018.

The notice also mentioned that if no nominations were received by the due date, the case may be decided in the absence of any representation of State Government.

Earlier on the request of Government of Odisha made under Section 3 of Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956, the Central Government constituted Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal on  March 12, 2018.  The Central Government made reference for taking up adjudication to the Tribunal under Section 4 of the ISRWD Act, 1956 on  April 17, 2018.The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has issued a notification on constituting the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal in the month of March this year, the Central Government has informed.

The Tribunal has been constituted following orders of the Supreme Court dated  January 23, 2018 in a suit filed by the Government of Odisha.

The Government of Odisha had sought to refer the water dispute regarding the inter-state river Mahanadi and its river valley to a Tribunal for adjudication under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.

Notably, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister  Narendra Modi on February 20 this year had approved the proposal for adjudication of dispute on Mahanadi River waters.

The Tribunal would determine water sharing among basin States on the basis of the overall availability of water in the complete Mahanadi basin, contribution of each State, the present utilization of water resources in each State and the potential for future development, the Central Government had informed.

 It is expected that with adjudication of dispute by the Tribunal, the long-pending dispute between States of Odisha and Chhattisgarh on Mahanadi river will come to a final settlement, it informed.