Bhubaneswar: Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai, who reached Odisha on a two-day visit on Sunday, expressed confidence that the long-standing Mahanadi river water-sharing issue between the two neighbouring states would be resolved “very soon”.Addressing the media at Biju Patnaik International Airport, Sai said conditions are favourable for an early settlement, as BJP govts are in office in both the states and at the Centre. “There is no longer a dispute over the Mahanadi water distribution. The BJP govts are in power in both Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and an NDA govt is at the Centre. Therefore, the matter will be resolved very soon,” Sai said, adding that both the states already agreed to abide by the decision of the Central Water Commission on the issue.From the airport, the Chhattisgarh chief minister directly proceeded to the residence of his Odisha counterpart, Mohan Charan Majhi, where the two leaders held discussions on a range of bilateral matters.Sharing details of the interaction on X, Sai said the meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the neighbouring states and advancing development initiatives for public welfare.The meeting assumes significance ahead of the next hearing of the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal scheduled for Sept 28. Technical representatives of Odisha and Chhattisgarh are also set to meet on Monday.Earlier, on July 30, Majhi and Sai had met in New Delhi in the presence of Union jal shakti minister C R Patil to discuss the issue. Following that meeting, Majhi expressed optimism that the dispute could see a resolution before Diwali on Nov 8.The Mahanadi water conflict has persisted for more than a decade. Odisha has maintained that the construction of barrages and weirs by Chhattisgarh in the upper reaches of the river has affected its natural flow and diverted water for industrial use. Chhattisgarh, however, consistently argued that it utilised only its legitimate share of the river water and had accused Odisha of failing to make optimal use of the resources available to it.The Centre established the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal in March 2018 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, after Odisha moved Supreme Court in Dec 2016 challenging upstream projects undertaken by Chhattisgarh.Since assuming office in Odisha, the BJP govt has advocated a negotiated settlement, arguing that prolonged legal proceedings could defer a lasting solution. In April this year, the Centre extended the tribunal’s tenure by nine months till Jan 13, 2027.