BHUBANESWAR: In a significant development, Odisha Government has decided to launch a project for massive groundwater recharge. The project will be first of its kind in the entire country.On Friday, the department of Water Resources signed an agreement with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for the project in presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the Secretariat here.
The project estimated at `1115 crore will be implemented in 15 districts of the State within a period of five years. The districts are Bargarh, Balangir, Boudh, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Sambalpur and Sonepur.Of the total project estimate, South Korean-based Green Climate Fund will provide `232 crore to the State government as financial assistance through NABARD. The State Government will arrange the remaining amount through convergence funding. Under the project, 10,000 ponds will be renovated and recharge structure constructed to conserve surplus rainwater.
“This apart, the project envisages shafts to recharge 1,65,000 acre feet of water to aquifers, development of 1,000 deep bore wells with solar pumping-based micro irrigation and capacity building of farmers,” the Chief Minister said.