BHUBANESWAR/BALANGIR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday unveiled the much-awaited Lower Suktel irrigation project and lauded the sacrifice of the people of the region. Targeted to irrigate more than 1 lakh acres of agricultural land, the project will benefit over 80,000 farmers, besides providing drinking water for 70,000 people in around 203 villages of Balangir and Sonepur districts.
Naveen said the project will also place Balangir at the forefront of the next level of transformation in the agriculture sector and go a long way in mitigating the plight of farmers in the region. Since irrigation will be taken up through underground pipelines, no new displacement will take place, he said.
Stated to be the lifeline of the undivided Balangir district, the project has seen 10 cost overruns. From an estimated Rs 217 crore in 2001 when the chief minister laid the foundation stone for it, Lower Suktel’s project cost now stands at Rs 2,723 crore. On the occasion, the chief minister remembered the families of 29 villages displaced by the project. “I respect their sacrifice which will be remembered forever,” he added.
Water resources minister Tukuni Sahu said the CM has fulfilled the dream of the people of Balangir by inaugurating the project. She praised the role of 5T chairman VK Pandian for the completion of the project. Pandian had visited Balangir in August 2020 to receive grievances from people. The project which had encountered hurdles since its inception was sped up after its inclusion in the 5T initiative. It had to navigate through resistance from displaced families over the years.
The Survey for the project was conducted in 1979. However, it got environmental clearance in 1998. The dam, the ninth biggest in Odisha, is 31 metres high and can hold 320 lakh cubic metres of water.
During his visit to Balangir, the Chief Minister also inaugurated 69 other projects worth Rs 305 crore. He laid the foundation for 112 infrastructure projects worth Rs 2,220 crore during his visit to the western Odisha district.