BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday laid the foundation stone for two major irrigation projects that would be developed at a cost of Rs 1,849 crore in Odisha's Nabarangpur district.
While the Parvati Giri lift irrigation project will be constructed at an investment of Rs 1,272 crore, around Rs 577 crore will be spent on the Turi-Guntat project.
About 70,000 acres of farmland in 120 villages in Nandahandi, Nabarangpur and Tentulikhunti blocks of the district will get irrigation facilities when the Parvati Giri project is complete, an official statement said.
When the Turi-Gunant irrigation project is built, 20,000 hectares of agricultural land in 40 villages of Nabarangpur and Kosagumuda blocks will be irrigated, it said.
Two barrages will be constructed as part of the projects and irrigation water will be supplied to the farmland through underground pipes, the statement said, it added.
"Agriculture is the backbone of the state's economy and social system. I have always stressed the need for the welfare of farmers," Patnaik said.
The district will witness major infrastructure development in the coming years, he added.