Argus News - Odisha to Form Drinking Water Corporation for Rural Supply

Bhubaneswar, Apr 11: The Odisha government has taken a landmark decision to strengthen rural drinking water supply and management by announcing the formation of a dedicated Drinking Water Corporation.

The move comes alongside the approval of the Rural Drinking Water Operation and Maintenance Policy 2026, which is expected to play a crucial role in ensuring uninterrupted access to safe drinking water across villages.

Drinking Water Supply Minister Rabi Narayan Naik stated that an Odisha team will soon visit Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka to study the functioning of similar corporations and prepare a blueprint.

The new corporation will operate with IT and digital platforms, overseeing 207 mega projects, 18,700 single-valve systems, and 6,551 solar-powered water projects.

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Under the new policy, the responsibility of managing and maintaining mega projects will be handed over to an agency for five years. After this period, the responsibility will be transferred to local panchayats, with village water and sanitation committees actively participating.

The committees will monitor water supply, purification processes, and report issues to block and district authorities.

The state cabinet, in its recent meeting, approved 11 proposals, with the highest priority given to drinking water and irrigation. Chief Secretary Anu Garg emphasized that the government is taking extensive measures to provide piped drinking water to rural households.

“Infrastructure development alone is not enough; continuous water supply, quality monitoring, maintenance, and transparent financial management are equally important,” Garg noted.

The policy also outlines clear responsibilities for rural water and sanitation institutions, district authorities, panchayats, and village committees.

A centralized command and control room with real-time digital monitoring will be established to ensure efficiency. Importantly, the policy ensures that even during natural disasters, people will not be deprived of drinking water.

This initiative marks a significant step toward sustainable water management in Odisha, aiming to provide reliable, clean drinking water to every rural household.