The Odisha Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi approved tender for four lift irrigation schemes under the flagship Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Scheme, aimed at boosting agricultural productivity in the upland areas of Jharsuguda district. The approved project will create an additional irrigation potential of approximately 6,480 hectares by lifting surplus water from the Ib River, Hirakud Reservoir, and the confluence of the Bheden and Ib Rivers. Water will be distributed through a pressurised pipeline system, ensuring efficient delivery to farmlands that were previously unreachable via traditional gravity-flow irrigation due to geographical challenges.
With an extra Rs 13.39 crore put aside for 15 years of operation and maintenance (O&M), the project’s implementation cost has been calculated at Rs 167.34 crore (without GST). The project is expected to be finished in 36 months. The project is anticipated to help farmers in 101 villages around the Jharsuguda district when it is put into operation. The micro-irrigation-compatible design, according to officials, would promote a transition from water-intensive paddy agriculture to higher-value cash crops, potentially raising income levels and improving the socioeconomic situations of nearby agricultural communities.
A proposal to increase community involvement and enhance transparency in project selection under the Bikashita Gaon Bikashita Odisha Scheme was also accepted by the Cabinet. According to an official statement, “the corrigendum shifts the scheme toward a more participatory, bottom-up approach and enhances accountability in project implementation.” By posting a notice on the notice boards of the Collectorate, Zilla Parishad, Block, GPs, and District webportal, PRI members, elected representatives, and members of civil society may now submit need-based project ideas under the updated procedure. A District-Level Committee, led by the District Collector, will examine these ideas. The Collector of the relevant district will approve the list of completed projects.
