Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet on Tuesday approved a major irrigation infrastructure project aimed at strengthening agricultural productivity in Kalahandi district by providing assured water supply to rain-dependent farmlands.
The Cabinet cleared the tender for the construction of an underground pipeline irrigation system covering a total culturable command area (CCA) of 5,000 hectares under the Sandul Barrage Project. The project will be implemented on an EPC–turnkey basis and will include operation and maintenance of the fully commissioned system for a period of five years.
The execution cost of the project has been approved at ₹154.72 crore (excluding GST), while the operation and maintenance component for five years will cost ₹7.73 crore (excluding GST). The entire project is scheduled to be completed within 30 calendar months.
Once completed, the underground pipeline irrigation system will provide assured kharif irrigation to 1,887 hectares in Karlamunda block, 409 hectares in Narla block, and 2,704 hectares in Kesinga block of Kalahandi district. These areas are currently heavily dependent on natural rainfall, which is often inadequate, untimely, and unevenly distributed, leading to unstable agricultural output.
The project is expected to significantly reduce farmers’ dependence on monsoon rains, improve crop yield, and enhance overall agricultural resilience in one of Odisha’s drought-prone regions. By ensuring reliable water delivery through a modern pipeline-based irrigation system, the government aims to promote efficient water use and long-term sustainability of irrigation infrastructure in the command area of the Sandul Barrage.
