Bhubaneswar: The long-pending Bankatira Barrage Project on the Budhabalanga river in Baleshwar district has moved closer to implementation, with land acquisition reaching the compensation payment stage and possession of the identified land targeted by November 15, 2026.
Principal Secretary, Water Resources Department, Shubha Sarma, reviewed the project’s progress on Saturday and directed officials to expedite the process to facilitate early commencement of construction.
The project, coming up in Remuna block, is expected to provide assured Kharif irrigation to around 7,300 hectares covering 120 villages and benefiting approximately 21,269 people in Mayurbhanj and Baleshwar districts.
The proposed barrage will cater to irrigation requirements in Betnoti block of Mayurbhanj and Remuna, Baleshwar Sadar and Basta blocks of Baleshwar district. It will also strengthen drinking water supply, with provisions for 60 million litres per day (MLD) for Baleshwar Municipality and another 40 MLD for 34 gram panchayats in Baleshwar Sadar and Remuna blocks.
Additionally, the storage facility is expected to ensure uninterrupted Kharif irrigation to around 2,000 hectares through the existing Mega-Lift Irrigation Project in Badasahi block of Mayurbhanj district.
The acquisition of 7.98 acres of private land spread across Darkuli, Gandarda and Talmedhi villages has now reached the compensation payment stage. The required forest land clearance has also been obtained, removing two major hurdles to the project’s implementation.
The Water Resources Department is set to accelerate construction activities as land possession is completed, the official statement said.
The project is expected to improve irrigation coverage, strengthen drinking water security and support agricultural development in Baleshwar and Mayurbhanj districts.
