BHUBANESWAR: In a move to strengthen rural water supply systems, the state government has decided to set up a dedicated water corporation on the lines of Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO), which operates in urban local bodies.
Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water minister Rabi Narayan Naik on Saturday said the administrative reform will streamline operation and maintenance of rural water infrastructure. It is part of the newly-approved Rural Drinking Water Operation and Maintenance Policy cleared by the state cabinet on Friday.
Naik said a technical team from the state will soon visit Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka to study existing models and frameworks before finalising the corporation’s blueprint. “The team will examine best practices and help design a robust and efficient structure suited to Odisha’s needs,” he said.
On the future-ready initiative, Naik said that the corporation will extensively leverage IT and digital platforms for monitoring, management and service delivery. The move is expected to enhance transparency, ensure real-time tracking of projects and improve grievance redressal mechanisms.
To ensure efficient execution of large-scale projects, the government plans to engage a specialised agency that will be entrusted with the responsibility of implementing mega drinking water projects for a period of five years.
Once operational, the corporation will oversee an extensive network of water infrastructure across the state. This includes monitoring 207 mega drinking water projects, 18,700 single-vault systems, and 6,551 solar-powered drinking water projects. The minister also emphasised on community participation in water management. He said village water sanitation committees will be formed to strengthen grassroots-level oversight and ensure sustainability of water resources.