Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday inaugurated 124 water projects worth Rs 320 crore and laid the foundation stones for 17 projects valued at Rs 2,292 crore, taking the total investment to Rs 2,612 crore, as part of the state-level World Water Day 2026 celebrations held at the Lok Seva Bhawan Convention Center.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister emphasised the importance of water conservation, stating, “Even a single drop of water is extremely valuable. We must pledge not to waste water, and this message should reach every household.” He urged schools to teach children the importance of saving water, calling them the “water soldiers of the future.”
Highlighting the state’s initiatives, Majhi described the Prime Minister’s Jal Jeevan Mission as a revolutionary scheme and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing piped clean drinking water to every household. “Through the Jal Shakti Abhiyan and ‘Catch the Rain’ initiative, we are making water conservation a national priority while training women in water quality testing and management,” he said.
The Chief Minister underlined Odisha’s efforts to eliminate gender inequality in water management and strengthen the rural economy. He also urged citizens to actively participate in water security, following this year’s World Water Day theme, ‘Water and Gender.’
He spoke about Odisha’s focus on ensuring that water scarcity does not affect the poor, saying, “Providing clean water to people at the grassroots level is central to our Antyodaya policy. Under Mission Power, we are working to supply clean water to every unreached village and backward area.” The state is also promoting “more crops per drop of water” in agriculture and has made significant progress in tree plantation through the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign.
The Chief Minister outlined future plans, aiming to raise Odisha’s crop intensity for irrigation to 220 percent by 2036 and 250 percent by 2047. Several recharge shafts under the ‘CHHATA’ and ‘ARUA’ Yojanas have also been completed for groundwater replenishment. He cited the successful implementation of projects like the Canal Lining System, Lower Suktel Water Irrigation Project, and Kusumi Smart Irrigation Project, which have expanded irrigation coverage to approximately 2.2 lakh hectares.
On the occasion, Majhi inaugurated the Child Care Center ‘Kalik’ at Rajiv Bhawan and launched the AI-powered citizen feedback system ‘Bindu’ Chatbot. The Water Resources Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Water Commission, and a coffee table book ‘Sujala’ along with a river map were released.
Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo suggested retaining old low-level bridges being replaced by high barrages and installing gates for water conservation. The Chief Minister instructed departmental officers to study the proposal and submit a report.
The celebrations also featured a photo exhibition organised by the Water Resources Department. Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Principal Secretary of the Water Resources Department Shubha Sarma, and Engineer-in-Chief, Planning & Designs, Lingaraj Gouda, were present.
