BHUBANESWAR: The Department of Water Resources will observe the Pani Panchayat fortnight from January 16 during which attempts will be made to change the social behavioural attitude of farmers towards traditional patterns of agriculture.
As farmers of the state are still reluctant to adopt diversification of crops, efforts will be made to educate them on its benefits and adoption of climate-resilient agricultural practices through efficient use of water, sources in the department said.
Claiming the state has achieved limited success in the adoption of resilient agricultural practices and technologies, diversification of crops and adaptation to climate change, efficient use of water and use of better yielding and resilient seeds, sources said schemes under projects like Odisha Integrated Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture (OIIPCRA) are required to be scaled up.
Pani Panchayat Pakhya, 2024 provides an opportunity for the department to acknowledge the immense contribution made by the Pani Panchayats and its farmer members in the water sector.
With only 700 water users’ associations before the enactment of the Odisha Pani Panchayat Act, of 2002, the state has now 39,289 pani panchayats. e-CAD, a web and mobile app-based application, introduced for real-time monitoring of the functioning of pani panchayats and field channels, has improved the ease of transaction.
Various activities like pani panchayat samabesha, information education communication and debate, essay, painting, and quizzes among school children will be organised at all 117 irrigation divisions on January 16 while the district and state level functions will be held on January 24 and 30 respectively.