BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday directed the Water Resources department to initiate work on five major irrigation projects which have been pending for a long time.
Taking a review of the irrigation projects under construction and those that are approved but are in a state of limbo, at a high-level meeting in Lok Seva Bhawan here, the chief minister asked the department to expedite the IB irrigation project in Sundargarh, Ang irrigation project in Bargarh, Bhimkund barrage project, Jharpada and Kanupur irrigation projects in Keonjhar districts.
Emphasising that these projects are crucial for the state’s irrigation needs, Majhi instructed the officials concerned to take immediate action to expedite their completion. He also stressed the importance of efficient water management during low and delayed monsoon period and preparedness for possible flood situations. In addition to irrigation, these projects will also meet the drinking water needs of people in the catchment areas, he said.
According to the meeting, the IB irrigation project has the potential to irrigate approximately 1.06 lakh hectare of farmland. The irrigation potential of Ang project is about 30,000 hectare, for Bhimkund barrage project it is about 31,835 hectare, Jharapada project 17,500 hectare and for Kanupur project it is around 29,578 hectare. These five projects will collectively provide irrigation facilities to about 2,15,192 hectare of land.