Emphasis was laid on enhancing irrigation infrastructure and fostering the integrated growth of agriculture, horticulture, and fisheries during an inter-departmental review meeting of the Odisha Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture (OIIPCRA), which was presided over by Shubha Sarma, Principal Secretary of the Department of Water Resources. Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, and Girish S. N. , Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, attended the conference.
A key feature of OIIPCRA is the coordinated participation of multiple departments and partner institutions. The Department of Water Resources, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Horticulture, Fisheries, APICOL, Minor Irrigation and Odisha Community Tank Development and Management Society are working together towards integrated implementation of the project. This convergence is aimed at linking irrigation facilities with agricultural production and livelihood opportunities for farmers.
The meeting analyzed the project’s overall status, financial aspects, and activity progress in various departments. The importance of improved inter-departmental collaboration to connect irrigation resources with agricultural production and livelihoods was highlighted. The discussion also covered how to execute the Pulse Production Improvement Initiative in regions that are irrigated.
The review also included the condition of tanks’ civil works, improvements, and digital mapping under the Minor Irrigation and OCCL. It was emphasized that higher tanks should be utilized not only for water preservation but also for the growth of fisheries and agriculture in the nearby regions. It was talked about whether it would be possible to create an integrated livelihood model that incorporates appropriate crop production on the surrounding grounds with fish farming in tanks.
The GCF project and its execution, as well as the necessary administrative measures to ensure the continuity of project operations, were also covered during the discussion. The meeting was attended by the following individuals: Director, Agriculture & Food Production, Shubham Saxena; Director, Horticulture, Kalunge Gorakh Waman; Director, Fisheries, Siddhartha Das; Director, Special Projects, PR & DW Department, Siddharth Shankar Swain; Project Director, OIIPCRA, Sabita Mallick; Engineer-in-Chief-cum-Special Secretary Bighnaraj Purohit; and senior officials from the relevant departments and partner organizations.
