Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government marked World Water Day 2026 with a state-level event in Bhubaneswar, where Chief Minister Mohan Majhi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for numerous projects worth over Rs 2,612 crore.
Majhi, as the chief guest, laid the foundation stone for 17 projects valued at Rs 2,292 crore and inaugurated 124 projects costing around Rs 320 crore at the ceremony, held at the Lok Seva Bhawan Convention Centre, while emphasising on water conservation, gender equality in water management, and the state’s commitment to ensuring no farmland suffers from water scarcity while delivering piped purified drinking water to every household.
These initiatives fall under various water resource development schemes aligned with national programs like the Jal Jeevan Mission, which the CM described as a “revolutionary scheme” aimed at providing functional household tap connections for clean drinking water.
The 2026 World Water Day theme, “Water and Gender,” resonated strongly in the event, with Majhi urging all residents to advance water conservation efforts.
The Chief Minister said that water security is a key prerequisite for building a prosperous and developed Odisha. He highlighted additional measures such as promoting “more crop per drop” in agriculture, the success of schemes like canal lining, rehabilitation programmes, Lower Suktel Irrigation Project, and KUSUM smart irrigation. “In the past 21 months, these have enabled additional irrigation facilities on about 2.2 lakh hectares. The efforts also include addressing gender disparities in water management, empowering women and self-help groups as “Jal Sathis,” and strengthening rural economies through inclusive participation,” he said.
Majhi outlined ambitious targets, including increasing crop intensity to 220% by 2036 and 250% by 2047 to enhance irrigation coverage. “Groundwater recharge initiatives like the Chhatra and Arua schemes have seen completion of numerous recharge shafts,” he said, noting Odisha’s leadership in the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” tree-planting campaign and the preparation of a balanced water policy to prevent future disputes.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the “Kalika” child care centre at Rajiv Bhawan and launched the pilot of “Bindu”, an AI-powered citizen grievance redressal chatbot. Additionally, an MoU was signed with the Central Water Commission, and publications including the coffee table book “Sujala” and a river map book were released.
Before the main programme, Majhi and Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo inaugurated an exhibition on water resources department achievements. Deputy Chief Minister Singh Deo suggested studying the feasibility of installing gates on existing low-level bridges instead of demolishing them for higher barrages to aid water conservation
The CM directed officials to examine and report on this proposal.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Principal Secretary of Water Resources Department Shubha Sharma, and Engineer-in-Chief Lingaraj Goud, among others, were present.