THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, MAY 3, 2026

The Odisha Government has intensified its drive towards ensuring universal 24x7 urban drinking water supply, undertaking a comprehensive review of the Annual Action Plan of the Public Health Engineering Organisation (PHEO) for 2026–27, 2027–28 and 2028–29. The high-level review meeting was chaired by Additional Chief Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department, Usha Padhee, at Kharabela Bhawan on Saturday.

According to official projections, the population across 86 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) is expected to reach nearly 31.5 lakh by 2026. At present, these urban areas receive a cumulative drinking water supply of around 452 million litres per day (MLD).

Reaffirming the Government’s commitment to round-the-clock water supply, a phased roadmap is being implemented to achieve 24x7 service delivery across all ULBs in the state. During 2025–26, nine ULBs have already been brought under the initiative. Building on this momentum, 38 ULBs each will be covered during 2026–27 and 2027–28, significantly accelerating the expansion of uninterrupted water supply across Odisha’s urban centres.

Under the flagship SUJALA programme, as many as 544 water supply projects have been sanctioned so far. Of these, 289 projects have already been completed, while the remaining are at various stages of implementation. As part of the rollover plan, 391 projects—including 102 new initiatives—will be taken up during 2026–27 with an estimated investment of around ₹1,500 crore. In addition, 92 projects are scheduled for execution during 2027–28 at a projected cost of ₹978 crore.

These projects have been strategically designed to augment infrastructure capacity, strengthen distribution networks, and ensure uninterrupted, safe drinking water supply to urban households across the state.

Reviewing the progress, Padhee directed officials to expedite project execution and ensure timely completion in line with the Government’s vision of universal 24x7 drinking water access. She emphasised the need for accelerated expenditure and optimal utilisation of allocated funds during 2026–27 to sustain the pace of implementation.

Highlighting the importance of sustainability, she also underscored the need to identify and develop alternative water sources to discourage the use of treated drinking water for non-potable purposes such as gardening, vehicle washing, and construction activities.

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.