Bhubaneswar: The State Cabinet has approved several key tenders for the construction of underground pipeline (gravity flow) distribution systems as part of the Integrated Anandpur Barrage Project.
This major project, built on the Baitarani River, aims to provide assured irrigation to approximately 60,000 hectares of agricultural land across Keonjhar and Balasore districts. The barrage construction, strengthening of the Salandi river system, and initial distribution for 3,000 hectares through open canals have already been completed.
To address delays in land acquisition for traditional open canals in the remaining 57,000 hectares of command area (CCA), the government shifted to modern underground pipeline systems. This balance area has been divided into nine packages, with recent approvals covering multiple segments of the Salandi Left Main Canal (SLMC).The approved packages include:One package for 5,765.34 Ha CCA (SLMC from RD 71.505 km to 73.003 km) in Balasore district, with execution cost of Rs. 146.17 crore (excluding GST) and 5-year O&M cost of Rs. 7.69 crore (excluding GST).
Another for 5,177.98 Ha CCA (SLMC from RD 59.970 km to 60.304 km) covering Nilagiri, Bahanaga, Oupada, and Remuna blocks, with execution cost of Rs. 107.97 crore (excluding GST) and O&M of Rs. 5.52 crore (excluding GST).
A third for 4,924.04 Ha CCA (SLMC from RD 49.810 km to 59.970 km) benefiting Oupada and Bahanaga blocks, with execution cost of Rs. 105.63 crore (excluding GST) and O&M of Rs. 5.31 crore (excluding GST).
All works will be executed on an EPC-Turnkey basis, including Command Area Development (CAD), with a targeted completion period of 24 months from the award date. Upon completion, these pipelines will deliver efficient, assured irrigation to thousands of hectares in Balasore district’s key agricultural blocks, minimizing water loss and evaporation compared to open canals.
