New Delhi: The Centre has constituted a negotiations committee to assess availability and utilisation of waters of Mahanadi and its tributaries, it was announced on Thursday.

The committee will also examine existing water sharing agreements on river Mahanadi and will consider claims of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand regarding availability and utilisation of waters of these rivers, an official release said.

The committee, which is to submit its report within three months, has been set up with reference to complaint of Odisha under section 3 of the ISRWD Act, 1956, regarding utilisation of waters of Mahanadi Basin, it added.-Agency