Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet on Monday approved a major initiative to preserve the State’s historic irrigation infrastructure and promote heritage tourism through the Building Odisha’s Irrigation (Project) Tourism Amenities (BOITA) scheme.
The scheme has been approved with an outlay of Rs 650 crore, which will be funded from the State’s own resources over a period of five years, from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
According to the Department of Water Resources, Odisha has a rich legacy of maritime and water infrastructure that reflects its historical, cultural and engineering heritage. From the maritime traditions of ancient Kalinga to irrigation structures built during the British era and the early post-Independence period, these assets have played an important role in the State’s socio-economic development.
The BOITA scheme aims to preserve and renovate such historic irrigation structures while showcasing Odisha’s traditional water management practices. The initiative is also expected to create new opportunities for regional socio-economic development by developing heritage irrigation sites as tourism destinations.
Under the scheme, historic buildings associated with irrigation infrastructure will be considered for adaptive reuse, while heritage irrigation structures will be preserved through their stabilisation and the revival of their original water systems.
The scheme will also focus on the sustainable utilisation of heritage assets through the development of necessary infrastructure and tourism amenities.
The State Government said the initiative will help protect Odisha’s traditional water management heritage, enhance public awareness of the historical significance of its irrigation infrastructure, and conserve the State’s unique cultural identity.
The five-year programme is expected to combine heritage conservation, irrigation infrastructure restoration and tourism development, potentially giving a new lease of life to several historic water-related structures across Odisha.
