Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday approved Rs 20 crore for upgrading the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) as a Centre of Excellence (CoE) to strengthen water resources management, enhance technical expertise and promote scientific approaches to sustainable water utilisation in the state.
The initiative will be implemented over the financial years 2026–27 and 2027–28, with a focus on modernising institutional infrastructure, improving training facilities and strengthening research and capacity-building activities, officials said.
WALMI, which has played a significant role in promoting technical knowledge, professional training and capacity-building in the water management sector over the past four decades, will undergo a major infrastructure upgrade under the initiative.
The proposed improvements include smart digital classrooms, modern training facilities, improved residential accommodation, renovated hostels, an auditorium and conference facilities. These facilities are expected to provide a conducive environment for advanced training, research and knowledge exchange.
A key component of the initiative is the professional development of engineers in the Department of Water Resources, which has a sanctioned strength of 5,235 engineering positions.
Structured induction programmes for newly recruited engineers and specialised training modules will be introduced in areas such as modern irrigation technologies, flood management, water-use efficiency and climate resilience.
The institute will also strengthen its research and knowledge-sharing activities through collaborations with leading institutions, including the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, IIT Roorkee, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati, the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
The initiative will also cover capacity-building support for more than 41,000 Pani Panchayats across Odisha.
Training programmes for these grassroots institutions will focus on participatory irrigation management, water budgeting and equitable distribution of water resources.
The move is expected to strengthen community participation in water management, improve irrigation efficiency and promote the sustainable utilisation of water resources across the state.
