Odisha felicitated with ‘Water Digest Water Awards 2022-23’

Bhubaneswar: The Water Resources department of Odisha has been felicitated with the ‘Water Digest Water Awards 2022-23’ for its exemplary work in the field of water conservation and management.

The department has been felicitated with the ‘Best Infrastructure Pioneer Project Award’ for Upper Indravati LI Project and ‘Best Community Lift Irrigation Project’ award for Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation Ltd for the outstanding efforts made within the water sector.

Managing Director, OLIC-cum-Additional Secretary, Department of Water Resources, Sudhansu Mohan Samal and Anil Kumar Panigrahi, CCE, Upper Indravati Project received the awards from Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Sekhawat at a ceremony in New Delhi recently.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has congratulated the Water Resources Department on receiving these two awards. Water Resources Minister Tukuni Sahu has also expressed happiness for this achievement.

The Upper Indravati Mega lift Project is located in the left bank of Hati Barrage in Jayapatana Tahasil of Kalahandi District. The project irrigates at least 26,248 hectares of agricultural land. The project was dedicated to the people of Odisha on January 14, 2021. This project was awarded with ‘WORLD WATER AWARDS–2022-23’ in the category of ‘Best Infrastructure Pioneer Project’ being organised by the Water Digest.

Similarly, the Community Lift Irrigation Projects in Odisha have been empowering the farmers to diversify into other crops and get better returns on their produce.

The Department of Water Resources today celebrated this achievement at Rajiv Bhawan in the city here with the presence of Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Anu Garg, OLIC Chairman Amaresh Patri, OLIC MD Sudhansu Mohan Samal, Water Resources department EIC Bhaktaranjan Mohanty and other senior officials.