Cabinet approves irrigation project for Bijepur

Bhubaneswar: The state cabinet on Monday gave its nod to three proposals, including Gangadhar Meher Lift Canal System for Bijepur in Bargarh district recently announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

“The lift irrigation project will source water from nearby water bodies like Hirakud reservoir and channel them via canals. It has been observed that in Sohela, Bijepur, and Barapali blocks, if canal water is made available through pipelines then around 32000 hectares land can be irrigated,” informed Agriculture Minister Damodara Rout after the cabinet meeting.

The project will irrigate 19,000 hectares in Bijepur, 8,000 in Sohela and 5,000 in Barpali. “A tender in this regard will be completed within March,” he added.

Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said the project will cost about Rs 1246 crore.

The cabinet also gave its approval to the tender for a sewerage project for Bhubaneswar’s sewerage district-II. The Rs 173 crore-project has been awarded to Laxmi Constructions, Ahmedabad, and July 2020 is the estimated date of completion of work, the Chief Secretary said.

“The project work was earlier awarded to East Coast Construction which couldn’t execute it properly following which the contract was terminated,” he added.