Bhubaneswar/Keonjhar: During the second day of her two-day visit to Keonjhar district, the Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Department of Water Resources (DoWR) Anu Garg inspected works of two ongoing main canal systems of the Anandapur Barrage Project.
Accompanied by the Engineer-in-Chief, Chief Construction Engineer of the project, ADM Keonjhar, and Sub-Collector Anandapur, the DC-cum-ACS reviewed implementation status and assessed progress on ground with schedule for completion.
The Anandapur Barrage Project is a flagship irrigation initiative with intra-basin transfer of water aimed at irrigating 60,000 hectares of cultivated land across Hatadihi, Anandapur and Ghasipura blocks in Keonjhar district and Oupada, Nilagiri, Bahanaga, Balasore Sadar, Remuna, and Soro in Balasore district.
While all 17 main canal work packages are in progress, significant progress has been found in 56.923 km long Salandi Left Main Canal (SLMC).Work of the Baitarani Right Bank Canal (BRBC) in 03 packages are currently underway. Irrigation to 12803 ha. of cultivable land has been provided through SLMC. Agreement to provide irrigation to 3450 ha. through Under Ground Pipeline (UGPL) under BLBC and BRBC is going to be drawn shortly.
During the review, the DC-cum-ACS emphasized timely completion of the remaining main canal and the Underground Pipeline (UGPL) distribution system work packages to ensure intended benefits to reach the farmers by June, 2027, aligning with the Odisha Vision 2036 goals. She also directed district officials to expedite resolution of land acquisition issues and provisioning of minor mineral for the project to avoid further delays.
This high-level visit underscores continued commitment of State Government to strengthen irrigation infrastructure and ensuring water security for Odisha’s agricultural communities.
