RABINARAYAN JENA, OP
Bhubaneswar: More than eight major water projects in Odisha have been awaiting approval from the Central Water Commission (CWC) for several years, with the Mahanadi water dispute cited as one of the key reasons for the delay. The Water Resources department has sought detailed status reports on nine projects from the Engineer-in-Chief, including the Tel Integrated Multipurpose Project, Telijore Irrigation Project, Laxmipathar Irrigation Project, Katangi Irrigation Project, Upper Udanti Barrage, Satighat Barrage, Khadaga Barrage and Kala Barrage projects. The department has asked officials to furnish details of the present status of the projects and specify any issues holding up their progress. According to the department, the DPRs and Feasibility Reports (FRs) of several projects in the Mahanadi basin have been pending before the CWC.
The Tel Integrated Multipurpose Project in Nabarangpur and Khadaga Barrage Project in Kandhamal have been pending for nearly a decade, while six other projects have been awaiting clearance for seven to eight years. The department said delays in approval of DPRs and FRs have affected the pace of project implementation and, consequently, water availability in several districts.
The CWC has reportedly returned some project reports and kept others pending, citing the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal proceedings. The state department has maintained that projects involving catchment areas within Odisha should at least be considered at the planning stage, while ground-level execution can be undertaken in accordance with the tribunal’s directions. The issue also involves projects in the Vansadhara and Brahmani basins.
As per the final order of the Vansadhara Water Disputes Tribunal is sued September 13, 2017, the availability of river water at Gotta Barrage was assessed at 115 TMC, with Odisha and Andhra Pradesh entitled to share it equally. Odisha’s Upper and Lower Vansadhara projects are under consideration before the CWC but are yet to receive approval owing to inter-state issues. The DPR of the Upper Vansadhara Project was returned in October 2019 as the tribunal’s decision had not been published in the official Gazette.
In the Brahmani basin, the proposed Kala Barrage Project near Kaliapali in Debagada district has a CCA of 4,050 hectares. Its DPR was submitted to the CWC October 17, 2025, and is currently under scrutiny. The department is also preparing details for discussions with the Jharkhand government on the Subarnarekha irrigation project. The Chandil Dam was completed in 1998, but issues relating to displacement have continued.