The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday, 23 May demanded that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Odisha government publicly disclose the water availability data it reportedly submitted before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT), alleging that the state is attempting to conceal critical information about the Mahanadi river basin. The demand came from Bhubaneswar and was triggered by concerns raised by a prominent citizens' group over the opacity surrounding the tribunal process.

What the BJD Alleged

BJD Spokesperson and Media Coordinator Lenin Mohanty stated that Odisha and Chhattisgarh had reportedly submitted water resource data to the Mahanadi Tribunal as directed, but that this data had not been made available to the public or civil society. He accused the BJP government of adopting delaying tactics on what he described as a matter of critical importance to the people of Odisha.

'The BJP government in Odisha has no clear approach toward resolving the Mahanadi water dispute. The government is confused,' Mohanty said.

Citizens' Group Blocked, Activists Reportedly Detained

The controversy intensified after the Mahanadi Banchao Andolan — a citizens' action group dedicated to protecting the Mahanadi river basin — wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi seeking time for a discussion on the submitted data. According to Mohanty, the Chief Minister neither responded to the letter nor granted an audience to the group by 20 May.

On Friday, office bearers of the Mahanadi Banchao Andolan proceeded to the Chief Minister's residence to seek a meeting, but were reportedly unsuccessful. Mohanty alleged that Commissionerate Police forcibly removed the activists in what he described as an 'undemocratic manner.' NationPress could not independently verify the police's account of the incident.

The Mahanadi Dispute: Background

The Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh has been a long-running inter-state conflict, with Odisha alleging that upstream barrages and diversions by Chhattisgarh have reduced water flow into the river's lower basin, affecting agriculture and livelihoods in the state. The Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal was constituted to adjudicate the dispute, and both states have been directed to submit hydrological data as part of the proceedings.

This is not the first time transparency around the tribunal process has been questioned. Civil society groups have consistently demanded that submissions and hearing records be placed in the public domain.

BJD's Demand and Political Context

The BJD, which governed Odisha for over two decades before losing power to the BJP in 2024, said that data submitted by both Odisha and Chhattisgarh before the tribunal must be made public. 'Instead of transparently disclosing the Mahanadi-related data, those who wanted to meet the Chief Minister and discuss the issue were detained by the police. This indicates that the state government is trying to hide certain information,' Mohanty alleged.

The BJP government in Odisha has not issued a formal public response to the BJD's allegations as of the time of reporting. With the tribunal process ongoing, pressure from both the opposition and civil society is likely to intensify in the weeks ahead.