Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, on Friday approved 11 proposals from five departments. Among the important approvals, the Cabinet gave its nod to the execution of a series of lift irrigation projects under the ambitious Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Scheme in Jajpur district.
According to the Water Resources Department, the Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Scheme has an overall estimated outlay of Rs 10,759.20 crore. It aims to provide supplemental Kharif irrigation to upland areas of around 2,63,801 hectares across the state by lifting surplus water from rivers, reservoirs, and canals that cannot be covered through conventional flow irrigation.
In the current proposal, the Cabinet cleared the lowest financial bid for Cluster No. XXXVII, which includes four lift irrigation schemes. These schemes will create an additional irrigation potential of 5,950 hectares in Jajpur district by lifting water from the Kharsua and Brahmani rivers through an intake system and distributing it via a pressurized pipeline system. The approved project cost (excluding GST) is ₹158.87 crore.
Additionally, the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) cost for 15 years has been approved at Rs 12.71.The work is scheduled to be completed within 36 calendar months. Upon completion, the project will directly benefit farmers in 73 villages of Jajpur district.
Officials expect that the introduction of micro-irrigation facilities will encourage farmers to shift from traditional high-water-duty paddy cultivation to more profitable cash crops, thereby improving the socio-economic condition of upland farmers.
