New Delhi: In a significant development in the Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, the Centre today apprised the Supreme Court about issuance of notification for formation of a tribunal to resolve the issue by November 19.

The apex court had earlier deferred the hearing on the petition by Odisha for formation of the tribunal to today as the Centre sought four weeks to present data related to formation of the tribunal.

Notably, the Odisha government had written to the Centre for constitution of an inter-state tribunal under section 3 of the Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (IRWD Act) to resolve the Mahanadi water sharing dispute between Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

The Odisha government had also moved the apex court seeking a stay on construction of projects upstream of Mahanadi by Chhattisgarh government.