Bhubaneswar, Mar 22: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated the State-Level World Water Day 2026 celebrations at Lok Seva Bhavan Convention Centre in Bhubaneswar today and laid foundation stones for various water resource projects.

According to reports, the Chief Minister launched projects worth a total of Rs 2612 crore. Of these, 17 projects worth about Rs 2292 crore were inaugurated with foundation stones laid, while 124 projects worth about Rs 320 crore were formally inaugurated.

The Chief Minister emphasised that even a single drop of water is precious for many people across the world. He urged everyone to pledge not to waste water and said that the message of avoiding water wastage must reach every household on World Water Day.

Calling the Prime Minister’s Jal Jeevan Mission a revolutionary scheme, the Chief Minister reiterated the commitment to provide clean drinking water to every household through pipelines and eliminate water scarcity.

Through the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, water conservation has been adopted as a national priority. Under the “Catch the Rain” initiative, women are being trained in water quality testing and management. This ensures that no section of society is left behind and that water becomes accessible to all.

The Chief Minister further highlighted that eliminating gender disparity in water management and strengthening the rural economy are key goals.

Water security is essential for building a prosperous and developed Odisha. Women and self-help groups are being engaged as “Jal Sathi” (water partners). This year’s World Water Day theme, “Water and Gender”, was emphasized, with an appeal to all citizens to come forward for water security.

The Chief Minister noted that water scarcity affects the poor most severely. Therefore, ensuring clean water for the last person in society is part of the government’s Antyodaya policy. Under Mission Power, the government is working to provide clean water to every remote and backward village. In agriculture, the “more crop per drop” policy is being promoted. Odisha has emerged as a leading state in tree plantation through the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign.

To avoid future disputes over water, the state has prepared a balanced water policy. The government aims to increase crop intensity to 220% by 2036 and 250% by 2047 through irrigation facilities. Groundwater recharge projects under “Chhat Yojana” and “Arua Yojana” have already been completed.

The success of canal lining systems, rehabilitation programs, the Lower Sukatel irrigation project, and the Kusumi Smart Irrigation project were highlighted as achievements of the government’s 21 months of work. Additional irrigation has been arranged for about 2.2 lakh hectares of land.

He further said that proper use of water and increasing the availability of clean drinking water is the need of the hour. Odisha’s Vision Documents 2036 and 2047 emphasize water security to meet growing demands across sectors. The Chief Minister urged everyone to pledge that men and women will participate equally in water management, bringing real change in society.

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On this occasion, the Chief Minister inaugurated the childcare center “Kalika” at Rajiv Bhavan and launched the AI-driven citizen feedback system “Bindu” chatbot. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Water Resources Department and the Central Water Commission. A coffee table book “Sujala” and a river atlas were also released.

Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo suggested that instead of demolishing old low-level bridges where new high-level barrages are being built, gates should be installed on the existing bridges to conserve water. The Chief Minister directed departmental officers to study this proposal and submit a report.

The event was attended by Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Principal Secretary of the Water Resources Department Shubha Sarma, and Chief Engineer Lingaraj Gouda, among others.