The Ministry of Jal Shakti has ranked Odisha second in the Best State category of the National Water Award, 2022 for its efforts in the area of water resource conservation and management during 2020–21 and 2021–22.
More than 4 lakh farmers in Odisha now have access to water security thanks to government measures that resulted in the construction of 3.2 lakh hectares of new irrigation facilities. The Upper Indravati Lift Canal Project in Kalahandi and the Lower Indravati Irrigation Project in Nuapada and Bolangir are the two major projects that the Water Resources Department has finished.
In addition, 2833 Community Lift Irrigation Projects, 22,500 Deep Bore Wells, and 61 Mega Lift Irrigation Projects have been finished, delivering water to upland areas and ensuring geographic and social inclusivity.
Moreover, the government has finished resolving the Subarnarekha Irrigation Project’s long-standing problems and provided irrigation to almost 32,000 hectare. Also, the irrigation efficiency of all types of irrigation projects has generally risen by more than 20% as a result of the deployment of underground pipeline in the distribution networks.
The government has pledged to spend Rs 11,700 crore over the course of five years to build 46 in-stream storage structures in various rivers, which will help conserve almost 50,000 hectare-meters of water. In addition, the state’s groundwater resources have expanded to 17.26 billion cubic metres as a result of numerous water conservation initiatives the department has undertaken.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti will present the prize to the Odisha department during a ceremony that will take place soon.
Prasanta Patnaik