Lower Suktel irrigation project started in Odisha

Great news! The Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, has recently inaugurated the Lower Suktel Irrigation Project, which has been pending for two decades due to various reasons. The project is expected to meet the drinking water needs of Bolangir Municipality and Patnagarh NAC, and will also play a crucial role in irrigating around 1.00 lakh acres of land in 203 villages, benefiting approximately 75,000 farmers. This is a remarkable development for Bolangir, which has always been a drought-prone area of Odisha, with only 31% of the land irrigated and an average rainfall of 110 cm per year. With this project in place, the picture of farmers and agriculture in Bolangir is expected to change for the better.

Drinking water supply will also be ensured

Under this project, the drinking water requirements of Bolangir Municipality and Patnagarh NAC will be met. Industry and tourism will also benefit greatly from this. CM Naveen Patnaik decided in 2019 that this project would be taken up under the 5T initiative. Also, it will be intensified with smart technology and teamwork.

Also read: State government's attack on irrigation problem, government will give 80% grant under this scheme.

Underground pipelines are being used 

Underground pipelines are being used to supply irrigation water, which is the first case of its kind in the state. This will prevent water leakage and waste. To complete the project on time, a composite girder has been used instead of RCC for the spillway deck slab. Automatic radial spillway gates have been installed to remotely control it through Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA).

The project will provide water for irrigation of land in hundreds of villages.

Let us tell you that this project has been designed for micro-irrigation.  This is one of the most modern projects in India. About 1.00 lakh acres (40000 hectares) of land in 203 villages will be irrigated. This will benefit around 75,000 farmers and provide drinking water to Bolangir Municipality. Due to this, there will be opportunities for agriculture-related jobs throughout the year. Also, agriculture will play a role in increasing income, socio-economic improvement, and reverse migration. Apart from this, horticulture, agro-industry, small-scale industries, tourism, etc. will also be encouraged.

Millions of acres of land can be irrigated

Presently Naveen Patnaik government has dedicated various major water infrastructure projects like Upper Indravati Lift Canal benefiting Kalahandi district. Due to this, Nuapada and Bolangir districts are benefiting from lower Indra. Let us tell you that this will benefit the districts of Haldia, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Mayurbhanj and Koraput. These projects will collectively provide irrigation facilities to 3.64 lakh acres (1.47 lakh hectares) .