Bhubaneswar: Odisha and Chhattisgarh today held high-level talks to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute. The Chief Secretaries of Odisha and Chhattisgarh along with senior Water Resources officials deliberated on the interstate dispute.

Both the states agreed to work sincerely and amicably towards a mutually beneficial resolution through dialogue and cooperation.

In the meeting, it was agreed that Technical Committees, headed by the Engineers-in-Chief (EICs) of both states, will meet on weekly basis in September this year to identify and resolve critical issues.

The committees will also discuss creation of an institutional framework for stronger coordination on Mahanadi water sharing. A meeting at the level of Chief Secretaries, along with the Secretaries of Water Resources of both States, will be organised in October to review progress and take forward the discussions.

The Chief Ministers of Odisha and Chhattisgarh may meet by December, as per convenience, to take stock of the progress and explore an amicable, long-term resolution to the water dispute.

It is worth mentioning here that Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Vishnu Deo Sai had agreed to opt for an amicable solution to the water dispute during a meeting in the capital city here in March this year.