Bhubaneswar: Under the flagship ‘SUJALA’ programme state plans 391 projects, including 102 new initiatives in 2026–27 with an estimated investment of around RS 1500 crore, said Housing and Urban Development department Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee while chairing a comprehensive review of Annual Action Plan of Public Health Engineering Organisation (PHEO) for 2026–27, 2027–28, and 2028–29 at Kharabela Bhawan Sunday.
Reviewing the progress, Padhee directed officials to expedite project implementation and ensure timely completion in line with the government’s vision of universal 24×7 drinking water access.
She emphasised the need for accelerated expenditure and optimal utilisation of allocated funds during 2026–27 to maintain implementation momentum.
The state government has intensified its push towards universal 24×7 urban drinking water supplies. As per official projections, the population across 86 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) is expected to reach approximately 31.5 lakh by 2026.
At present, these urban areas receive a cumulative supply of about 452 MLD of drinking water.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to round-the-clock water supply, a phased roadmap is being implemented to achieve 24×7 service delivery across all ULBs. During 2025–26, nine ULBs have already been covered under the initiative.
Building on this progress, 38 ULBs each will be taken up during 2026–27 and 2027–28, significantly accelerating statewide coverage.
A total of 544 water supply projects have been sanctioned, of which 289 have been successfully completed, while the remaining projects are at various stages of execution.
Additionally, 92 projects are slated for execution in 2027–28 at a projected cost of Rs 978 crore.
These projects are strategically aligned to enhance infrastructure capacity, strengthen distribution networks, and ensure uninterrupted water supply to urban households.
Highlighting sustainability concerns, Padhee also stressed the importance of identifying and developing alternative water sources to discourage the use of treated drinking water for other purposes such as gardening, vehicle washing, and construction activities etc.
The meeting was attended by Additional Secretary Subhananda Mohapatra, FA-cum-Additional Secretary Sikha Biswal, Engineer-in-Chief, PHEO Bilas Behera, along with other senior officials.
