Bhubaneswar, Feb 7: The hearing in the Mahanadi water dispute case has been rescheduled to March 14, with the tribunal set to undertake a spot visit prior to the proceedings.

According to official information, the tribunal will conduct the field visit between the last week of February and the first week of March. The visit is expected to take place before the next scheduled hearing in the long-standing inter-state water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Tenure Set to End on April 13, 2026
The tenure of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal is scheduled to conclude on April 13, 2026. In view of this, both Odisha and Chhattisgarh have requested the Central government, through the tribunal, to extend its tenure until March 27, 2027.

The request for extension has been formally communicated to the Centre.

Also Read: CM Majhi Unveils Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Paradip Economic Corridor as 'Vision 2047' Growth Engine

Nine-Month Vacancy Led to Delay
Advocate General of Odisha, Pitambar Acharya, stated that the proceedings were delayed because the post of the tribunal’s Chairperson remained vacant for nine months. During this period, the tribunal was not functional, which affected the hearing schedule.

He said the absence of a Chairperson resulted in a halt in work, leading to delays in the overall proceedings of the case.

Dispute Over Mahanadi River Waters
The tribunal is adjudicating the water-sharing dispute over the Mahanadi river between Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The upcoming hearing on March 14 will follow the tribunal’s spot visit, which is intended to assess ground realities related to the case.

Both states continue to pursue resolution of the dispute through the tribunal process.