Dikhyaa Mohanty 
A significant project to mitigate the effects of drought on agriculture and develop long-term climate resilience in vulnerable areas was introduced by the Odisha government on Friday. At the Krushi Odisha-2026 inception workshop and inaugural ceremony in Bhubaneswar, the Odisha Agriculture Drought Mitigation Programme (OADMP), a Rs 41.50 crore project primarily funded by the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) under the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), was formally launched.
The launch comprised the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among the partners, highlighting science-led planning, inter-agency convergence, and community ownership to enable successful on-ground implementation. Three blocks—Komna in Nuapada district, Kosagumuda in Nabarangpur district, and Raruan in Mayurbhanj district—will be the first to deploy it. These regions are especially vulnerable to unpredictable rainfall and water scarcity. The program focuses on women, young people, tribal groups, smallholder farmers, and marginal farmers. About 24,000 households are anticipated to gain from it, improving their standard of living and lowering migration.
Prominent organizations, such as the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), will offer technical assistance and support for the initiative. The nodal agency would be the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment. The agricultural portfolio’s deputy chief minister, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, emphasized the significance of proactive drought management. “Building resilience is essential for protecting livelihoods and strengthening the rural economy,” he stated, calling on all parties involved to work closely together to ensure effective implementation.
OADMP is the first initiative of its sort supported by NDMA exclusively for drought mitigation, according to Agriculture Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee. He emphasized its emphasis on creative, empirically supported methods for converting fragile landscapes into agricultural systems that are robust. There were top state officials, scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), members from the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and the vice chancellor of the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Dr. Pravat Kumar Roul.
