Sonepur: A total of 19 new in-stream storage structures (ISS) will be built in Odisha to keep the water supply constant in the Mahanadi and other rivers during the summer and winter seasons, sources informed Sunday.
The instream structures will be built at a cost of `10,000 crore. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will lay the foundation stones for all the projects through video conferencing, January 20.
The ISS projects will come up in 13 districts. They are Subarnapur, Bargarh, Bolangir, Boudh, Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Khurda, Puri and Sundargarh. In the first phase, an ISS will be built at Godhaneshwar under Birmaharajpur block of Subarnapur district and another near Khairamal under Kantamal block of Boudh district.
The two projects will be built at a cost of `1,950 crore. The projects constructed on Mahanadi riverbed will provide huge relief to residents in Subarnapur and Boudh districts. Administrative officials of both the districts are on their toes for the foundation stone laying ceremony after a letter from Bhakta Ranjan Mohanty, engineer-in-chief of Water Resources department was issued January 10. Subarnapur District Collector Bimalendu Ray and SP Amaresh Kumar Panda visited Godhaneshwar Sunday to take stock of the situation. A function will be held at Jatesingha High School ground under Birmaharajpur block for inauguration of the Godhaneshwar project.
The Water Resources department had floated a tender for the purpose in August, last year after its proposal for construction of ISS received the approval of the Odisha government. It should be stated here that the Mahanadi river is known as the lifeline of Odisha. Water flow in the Mahanadi has drastically declined during the non-monsoon season after the Chhattisgarh government constructed multiple barrages on the upstream of the river. Earlier, the Odisha government had prepared a master plan to utilise the water of Mahanadi river and its distributaries.
It had planned to construct multiple barrages in Mahanadi river in 2017. After a preliminary survey, the technical advisory committee also gave its approval to the projects. However, the implementation of the projects got delayed due to unknown reasons. Later, Sonepur MLA and former Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari while presenting the budget for FY 2023-24 had announced construction of Godhaneshwar and Khairamal barrage projects. A detailed project report (DPR) worth `1024.81 crore was prepared for construction of ISS at Godhaneshwar.
Simalrly, the Water Resources department in Boudh had prepared a detailed DPR worth `925.59 crore for construction the of ISS at Khairamal. However, implementation of the projects got delayed due to lack of administrative clearance. However, it got a short in the arm when 5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman Kartik Pandian visited Boudh district recently. He visited the confluence of Mahanadi and Tel rivers at Rameswar and took stock of Khairamal project. He assured that the projects will soon receive administrative clearance.
Notably, the Godhaneshwar project will be bigger than Khiaramal project. The projects when completed will help in increase in groundwater level, water conservation, drinking water supply, fish cultivation, tourism, supply of water to industrial plants and growth of hotel industries.
PNN