Mahanadi water dispute: Amit Shah to chair meeting with Chhattisgarh, Odisha today

He said that he will be attending the meeting in Delhi.

Speaking in Raipur before his departure, Sai said both states had agreed to accept the decision taken by the Central Water Commission (CWC) in the interest of the two states.

"Today, I am going on a visit to Delhi. There has been a water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh for so many years, so today we will hold a meeting under the chairmanship of the Union Home Minister," Sai said.

He added that the Chief Ministers of both states had written to the CWC, expressing their willingness to accept its decision on the dispute.

"Now that there is a BJP government in both states, the Chief Ministers have written to the CWC that whatever decision the CWC takes in the interest of our states, we both will accept," he said.

Sai also announced that Chhattisgarh would participate in the Singapore Business Federation, where the state would showcase its development initiatives and seek to attract investment.

"Chhattisgarh will be participating in the Singapore Business Federation, where we will showcase the development of our state at the international level and attract investors," he said.

The proposed meeting on the water dispute is aimed at addressing an issue that has remained between the neighbouring states for several years. The dispute has involved the sharing and management of water resources, making coordination between the two state governments important.

Earlier on Wednesday, Sai said the long-standing Mahanadi River water dispute between Chhattisgarh and Odisha is on the verge of resolution, with both states and the Centre now having BJP governments.

Speaking during a foot march event from Devendra Nagar Chowk to Lal Chowk under the "Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan" in Chhattisgarh's Raipur, CM Sai said Union Home Minister Amit Shah has invited both Chief Ministers for a meeting in Delhi on Thursday to discuss the issue.

He said the meeting would be attended by both the Chief Ministers and the matter would be formally concluded in the presence of the Union Home Minister.

Earlier, on August 31, in an effort to resolve the long-standing dispute regarding the Mahanadi river, the Chief Secretaries and secretaries of the water resource departments of Chhattisgarh and Odisha held a meeting in New Delhi, and emphasised the necessity to work out an amicable solution for the benefit of the people, according to an official statement.

On July 24, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi chaired a high-level meeting to address the Mahanadi dispute with Chhattisgarh, stressing the need to resolve the issue through mutual talks with the Centre's cooperation.

In 2016, the Government of Odisha submitted a complaint to the Central Government on the Mahanadi River Water Dispute under section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. The State of Odisha requested that the Union Government constitute a Tribunal under section 4(1) of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, for the Adjudication of the water disputes in respect of the inter-State river Mahanadi and its basin between the riparian States of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. (ANI)