BHUBANESWAR: A MoU has been signed between the Water Resources department and IIT-Roorkee for preparing a State Specific Action Plan (SSAP) on the water sector for Odisha. Speaking on the occasion, Water Resources Minister Tukuni Sahu said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has always emphasised the development and better management of water resources.
“Our aim is to meet the requirement of water for all. While we are getting plenty of water during the rainy season, we face water scarcity in summer,” she said and added that the use of technology will help in meeting the water requirement of the state in the coming days.
IIT-Roorkee will prepare the State Specific Action Plan in three stages within 18 months. While the stage-1 will be for nine months during which the status report on water resources in Odisha, its availability, development and management will be prepared besides holding of a workshop. In stage II of the 6-month duration, an interim report will be prepared which will contain the impact of climate change, various interventions followed by a second workshop and sensitisation of policymakers. The State will get the final report on SSAP by the end of stage III.
Development commissioner Anu Garg said the MoU will help increase water use efficiency and irrigation potential in the state. “We are managing water resources and irrigation through various major, medium and minor reservoirs, check dams, command area development and OLIC with the support of pani panchayats, canal lining and also through climate resilient infrastructure development. Despite all this, we need to prepare a long-term action plan looking at the future need for water,” she added.