THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, AUGUST 12, 2026
In a major push to strengthen farm resilience and expand
assured irrigation, the Odisha Cabinet on Wednesday approved a massive Rs
12,458.04-crore Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Project that aims to bring an
additional 2.62 lakh hectares under irrigation across the state over the next
five years.
The ambitious project, to be implemented from 2026-27 with
full state funding, will comprise 161 mega lift irrigation schemes across all districts,
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said, underlining the government's focus on reducing
the dependence of farmers on increasingly erratic monsoon rainfall.
The initiative is particularly significant for upland and
water-scarce regions where conventional gravity-based irrigation systems are
not feasible. By lifting surface water and distributing it through underground
pressurised pipeline networks, the project is expected to minimise conveyance
losses, improve water-use efficiency and provide more reliable water supplies
to cultivable land.
With a large portion of Odisha's agricultural land still
vulnerable to drought and climate variability, assured irrigation is expected
to provide farmers with greater certainty for crop planning and open the way
for multiple cropping cycles. The government also expects the expanded
irrigation network to facilitate a gradual shift from water-intensive paddy
cultivation towards high-value cash crops, potentially raising farm
productivity and incomes.
Odisha has already completed 209 mega lift irrigation
schemes, creating irrigation potential over 2.66 lakh hectares in 23 districts
since the programme was launched in 2011-12. The latest investment is expected
to significantly expand that footprint and accelerate the state's efforts to
build climate-resilient agriculture.
The proposed pressurised pipeline infrastructure will also
support the adoption of micro-irrigation technologies, enabling more efficient
utilisation of scarce water resources. Officials said the comparatively shorter
gestation period of mega lift irrigation projects, compared with conventional
irrigation systems, would allow farmers to start benefiting from the
investments sooner while supporting sustainable agricultural growth.
In another major irrigation-related decision, the Cabinet
approved the Improvement to Tanks and Minor Irrigation Projects — Phase III
scheme with an outlay of Rs 389 crore for implementation between 2026-27 and
2029-30.
Under the scheme, 680 minor irrigation projects, including spillover works from the previous phase, will be renovated through desilting of reservoirs, strengthening of embankments, repair of spillways and improvements to canals.
The programme is expected to revive irrigation potential over around 15,700 hectares, while enhancing water storage capacity and improving the efficiency and reliability of water distribution to farmers across Odisha.
