Bhubaneswar: The Central Government has intensified efforts to promote sustainable development of water resources by introducing advanced training initiatives.
As part of this drive, the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee, conducted a five-day training workshop on machine learning from August 18 to 22, 2025, aimed at engineers, researchers, students, and professionals engaged in water resource management.
Ajay Kumar Mahakud, Deputy Director (Planning and Evaluation) of Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation (OLIC) under the Water Resources Department, participated in the programme and received hands-on training in modern machine learning applications.
Speaking about its relevance, Mahakud noted that the training will significantly aid Odisha’s irrigation development projects.
OLIC currently operates over 1.5 lakh deep borewell projects and 38,000 community lift irrigation projects, which form the backbone of the state’s irrigation network.
The government has also set a target of expanding irrigation coverage to an additional 9 lakh hectares over the next five years.
Mahakud added that the adoption of emerging technologies like machine learning will help optimize resource utilization and ensure efficient technology transfer in the state’s water management sector.
He expressed gratitude to the Development Commissioner, OLIC Chairperson and Managing Director for facilitating his participation in the training programme.
