Udayagiri/Gopalpur: Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, 5T Secretary VK Pandian and Additional Chief Secretary of the Water Resources department Anu Garg Thursday took stock of the ongoing construction work of Chheligada irrigation project in Gajapati district and Ghatakeswar multi-purpose project in Ganjam district.
The review meeting revealed that the Chheligada irrigation project will be completed by 2024 and it will help irrigate more than 6,000 hectare farmlands in both Ganjam and Gajapati districts.
That apart, it will produce 36 mega watt (MW) electricity after its commissioning. The construction work of 1,200 metre-long tunnel is expected to be completed by October this year, it was stated.
Briefing media persons, Chief Secretary Mohapatra said the construction work of Chheligada project will be completed well before the scheduled time.
“After its completion, water will be provided to farmlands through canals. As per the government guidelines, displaced people are being provided with financial assistance. Now, people displaced by the project have started going to the rehabilitation colony. Various measures have been taken for their self-employment and livelihood. In coming days, several schemes will be taken up for them,” Mahapatra said.
They reviewed the progress of Ghatakeswar multi-purpose project at Kankia under Golanthara police limits. The project is expected to be completed by December this year.
The work for this project had started December 20, 2019 at an estimated cost of over Rs 168.10 crore. But its cost has escalated to 172 crore. About 25 per cent of the work has been completed so far. The project includes initiatives like rainwater harvesting and lateral use for irrigation.
Mahapatra said that 220-metre dam will be completed by December and it will irrigate around 600 hectare farmlands through underground pipelines. It will also cater to drinking water needs of 75,000 people of 14 villages and Gosani Nuagaon under Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC), he added.
Notably, 15 major irrigation projects will be operationalised in the state by 2024 under ambitious ‘Transformational Initiative’ of state Irrigation department.
Out of the 15 major irrigation projects, four will become operational in the current year, four in 2023 and seven in 2024.