The Odisha government has extended its water management program till 2029
The command area development and water management plan of the state government has been extended for an additional five years, from 2024–2025 to 2028–2029.
The plan, which was approved by the last cabinet and has an estimated cost of Rs 763.47 crore, would help build a 2,400 kilometer field channel network over an 80,000 acre command area. After it is built, the field channel network will make sure that irrigation water is distributed fairly all the way to the end, minimizing the difference between the amount of irrigation potential that is developed and used.
The channel network will boost output and productivity by managing irrigation on farms and diversifying crop rotation. Up to 266 farmer awareness training sessions on scientific water management techniques will be held as part of the effort to increase agricultural productivity and output. In addition to the topographical survey and the design of field drains and channels over more than 1.5 lakh hectares across many commands, 12 pilot studies for improved on-farm water management will be conducted.
It has been determined to build 600 km of field channel at a cost of Rs 189.32 crore each in 2025–26, 2026–27, and 2027–28, and 240 km at a cost of Rs 77.95 crore in 2028–29. The 360 km of field channel would be built in 2024–25. To close the funding gap between irrigation potential generated and used, the plan to reconstruct outdated field channel works in irrigated commands has been extended till 2028–2029 at a cost of Rs 574.74 crore. The plan calls for rebuilding the 1,860 km concrete field channel network, which spans 62,000 hectares of command area, in place of the outdated, decaying, and non-functional field channel network. It will improve crop covering area, water usage efficiency, and assist decrease water waste.
According to a department of Water Resources official, the MGNREGA component for the command area development and water management plan accounted for around Rs 108 crore of the overall expenditure of Rs 763.47 crore. He said that an MGNREGA component of Rs 83.7 crore was included in the cost of rebuilding the old field channel.
