BHUBANESWAR: The state government has roped in the Indian Institute of Water Management (IIWM) and Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) for enhancing agricultural water productivity of canal commands and training of trainers for Pani Panchayats respectively.
Sources said the partnership with Command Area Development and Participatory Irrigation Management (CAD-PIM) and IIWM will facilitate pilot field demonstration of digital water measuring and soil moisture sensing systems for enhancing agricultural water productivity of canal commands in the state.
An IoT-enabled digital water measuring and soil moisture sensing system developed at IIWM for irrigation scheduling will be introduced across the state after its performance evaluation in Harianta distributary of Kakatpur-Puri main canal under Usuma village near Phulnakhara in Cuttack.
The collaboration will help build the capacity of the Pani Panchayats on use of digital devices in adopting automated control of irrigation, initiating efficient use of water and promoting crop diversification in canal commands.
Odisha Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture (OIIPCRA) has partnered with XIMB for training of trainers (ToT) followed by training of the office-bearers of Pani Panchayats in a cascading mode. Besides, the institute will also conduct pre and post-training needs assessments of the master trainers and conduct outcome analysis.
Two separate MoUs were signed in the presence of development commissioner and additional chief secretary of Water Resources department Anu Garg. She also reviewed sustainable irrigation projects of Ganjam, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Kalahandi districts.
It was discussed that the minor irrigation projects developed through OIIPCRA should be promoted for agri-tourism and aqua-tourism.
Principal secretary Fisheries Suresh Kumar Vashishth, director of Agriculture Prem Choudhary, principal scientist of IIWM Rabindra Kumar Panda and XIM University VC Antony R Uvari were present.