BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday proposed creation of a National Water Innovation Hub to promote research and startups working on water conservation technologies.
Addressing the second All India Water Ministers’ Conference at Udaipur in Rajasthan, Majhi said challenges of water management are not limited by state boundaries. Stating that management of inter-state river basins requires collaborative frameworks between states, he urged all states to adopt a basin-centric approach which will foster dialogue, cooperation and mutual benefit.
He said the Odisha government has prioritised flood control and water conservation with multipurpose projects. At the same time it is investing in technology-driven water governance through real-time monitoring systems and digital dashboards for reservoir management.
The chief minister said the state government has created a storage of about 18 billion cubic metre (BCM) of water in major, medium and minor irrigation projects. Additionally, the state has groundwater resources of 17 BCM. However, this is not enough as the demand from different sectors will rise to 58 BCM by 2047, he said.
Emphasising the need for integrated water management, the chief minister said initiatives such as Pani Panchayat have empowered farmers and promoted participatory irrigation. More than 40,000 Pani Panchayats are presently active in Odisha covering an area of 24.57 hectare, and about 45,585 village water and sanitation committees have been constituted for people’s participation in water management, he said.
Besides, the state government has made tremendous progress in providing every family with a functional tap water connection under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). In 2019, only 3.5 per cent of rural households had access to tap water, which has gone up to 76.4 per cent now.
“We are committed to achieving 100 per cent tap water coverage in rural Odisha by March 2027. Through dedicated efforts, we have prioritised last-mile connectivity ensuring no one is left behind,” he said.