Bhubaneswar: Odisha missed the Diwali deadline for resolving the decade-old Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh but officials said the two states are close to an amicable settlement, which could emerge within the next few weeks.A meeting of the state’s technical team was held on Saturday to examine Central Water Commission’s (CWC) draft proposal on sharing Mahanadi waters with Chhattisgarh. The state govt is scrutinising the finer details of the proposed formula, sources said.“It won’t be proper to give another deadline, but we are nearing a solution. Both Odisha and Chhattisgarh are committed to it,” a senior govt officer said. The officer said another 15 days to a month could be enough to arrive at a settlement, though much would depend on how quickly CWC and Chhattisgarh process the proposal.On Oct 1, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi had said Odisha and Chhattisgarh had moved closer to resolving the long-pending dispute and that a settlement could be reached by Diwali, reiterating a timeline he had first indicated on July 30.Majhi’s statement came after a meeting in Delhi in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah. Union Jal Shakti minister C R Patil, Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai and senior officials were also present.Hailing the talks as a potential model for settling inter-state river disputes, Majhi had said, “For other states facing similar issues, this will be a model for dispute resolution. The final solution will safeguard the interests of both Odisha and Chhattisgarh.”Shah reviewed the progress made by CWC, took note of the positions of both states and advised them to work towards an amicable settlement.Sources said the proposed water-sharing formula is likely to be based on Mahanadi flow data cited in the 1948 Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Hirakud reservoir, with certain updates. The river’s flow was then estimated at 48 million acre-feet (MAF).Odisha has largely no reservation over the proposed sharing formula, sources said. Its key concern, however, is ensuring adequate non-monsoon flow, considered crucial for sustaining the river’s flora and fauna.Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal is scheduled to hear the case next on Nov 16, even as Odisha explores an amicable settlement with Chhattisgarh outside the tribunal.