Bhubaneswar: In a bid to strengthen irrigation infrastructure and ensure steady water supply to farmers, Water Resources department Principal Secretary Shubha Sarma, along with Engineer-in-Chief Sagar Mohanty, Thursday conducted field visits across multiple districts to review ongoing projects.
During the visit, Sharma inspected the Padmanabhpur Check Dam and held detailed discussions on renovation costs and irrigation capacity. Emphasising timely execution, she directed officials to set monthly targets to achieve 90 per cent expenditure by the end of the 2026–27 financial year.
Interacting with local farmers, she stressed forming Pani Panchayats and registering Water Users’ Associations for effective water management. She also directed officials to undertake turfing of the affl ux bund and maintain upstream slopes to enhance the safety of the check dam.
Later, while reviewing the Hadua Irrigation Project, Sarma instructed officials to complete the concrete gravity dam and spillway within the stipulated timeline. She also proposed setting up a SCADA control room, along with beautification measures and a children’s park to promote tourism in the project area.
The review was attended by local MLA Bijaya Kumar Dalabehera, Athagarh Sub-Collector Prahlad Narayan Sharma, and other senior departmental officials. Meanwhile, Mohanty visited several projects in the Patnagarh block of Bolangir district.
He inspected the Subarnarekha Minor Irrigation Project and Upper Lanth Irrigation Project, reviewing their progress. Mohanty directed field officials to expedite land acquisition processes and immediately close gaps in river embankments to complete the works without delay. He also inspected the Berhampura low-height bridge constructed over the Mayabati River.
To improve water storage for irrigation and drinking purposes, he instructed officials to install shutters at the bridge vents.