THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, JULY 16, 2026

Odisha has taken a major step towards strengthening its disaster resilience with the State Executive Committee (SEC) on disaster management approving a ₹222.20-crore project to address urban flooding and waterlogging in Bhubaneswar, besides clearing a ₹1.77-crore proposal to mitigate the impact of heatwaves in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

The decisions were taken at the first SEC meeting for the 2026-27 financial year, chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg at Lok Seva Bhavan. The committee approved the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)-supported urban flood mitigation project, with ₹200 crore to be provided by the Centre and the remaining ₹22.20 crore by the state government.

The ambitious project aims to strengthen Bhubaneswar’s stormwater drainage network, restore and integrate urban lakes, promote rainwater harvesting and water security measures, establish advanced early warning systems, undertake comprehensive flood risk assessments, and enhance institutional capacity for disaster preparedness and response.

To tackle the growing threat of extreme heat, the SEC also approved a ₹1.77-crore heatwave mitigation plan for Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The initiative envisages the construction of multi-purpose rest shelters, installation of vetiver cooling mats at bus stops, reflective roof painting, vetiver roof shading, and provision of safe drinking water facilities at key public locations.

Reviewing the state’s disaster management finances, the committee noted that ₹979.18 crore has been allocated under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and ₹429 crore under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF), taking the overall disaster management provision to around ₹2,147 crore. It was informed that expenditure of ₹1,064.48 crore has already been incurred during the current year, while utilisation certificates have been received for 92.93 per cent of the funds released.

The SEC also approved a series of measures to further bolster Odisha’s disaster response framework. These include proposals for forest fire risk mitigation, strengthening communication systems of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Fire Services, and procurement of HF/VHF communication equipment, VSAT terminals and satellite phones to ensure uninterrupted connectivity during emergencies.

In a significant community-based preparedness initiative, the committee sanctioned the formation of village-level volunteer task forces in 3,000 non-cyclone shelters. The volunteers will be trained in early warning dissemination, search and rescue operations, first aid, relief management and psycho-social support to enhance grassroots disaster response capacity.

Chairing the meeting, Chief Secretary Anu Garg directed all concerned departments to ensure timely implementation of the approved projects, transparent utilisation of funds and technology-driven monitoring to further strengthen Odisha’s disaster management system and enhance its resilience against future natural hazards.