Bhubaneswar: Irrigation, the backbone of agriculture, took center stage as the Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation (OLIC) celebrated its 52nd Foundation Day, marking significant strides in enhancing irrigation infrastructure across the state. Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, the Chief Guest at the event, lauded OLIC’s deep tube wells and group irrigation projects, calling them instrumental in boosting agricultural productivity.
Addressing the gathering, Ahuja underscored the pivotal role of farmers and Pani Panchayat in driving the success of irrigation projects under OLIC. He highlighted the importance of integrating modern technologies and digital media in agriculture to further boost growth. He also emphasized the need for knowledge sharing through field visits to other states to strengthen Pani Panchayat’s operations.
Anu Garg, Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary of the Water Resources Department, noted that OLIC’s irrigation initiatives have seen remarkable improvements over the past five years. “OLIC now manages approximately 50% of irrigation to farmlands, with its capacity to install around 18,000 projects annually,” she said, adding that the corporation’s financial stability has also improved significantly.
Sudhansu Mohan Samal, Managing Director of OLIC, welcomed attendees and provided an overview of the corporation’s achievements. Established in 1973, OLIC earned “Gold Category” PSU status within two years and has implemented 1.71 lakh projects, creating irrigation capacity for 15.96 lakh hectares. In the year 2023-24 alone, OLIC completed 18,944 projects, irrigating 1.22 lakh hectares of land.
Samal also noted that, in addition to new projects, the corporation is focused on repairing defunct tube wells and employing advanced technologies, which have quadrupled project completion rates. This year’s goal is to provide irrigation to 1.22 lakh hectares of farmland.
Training for Pani Panchayat members remains a priority, and the corporation has allocated ₹1084.38 crore over five years for repairing defunct tubewells. Samal emphasized the importance of collaboration with the Agriculture Department and OREDA to ensure universal access to irrigation.
The event included the launch of an online portal for restoring defunct group irrigation projects, an e-service book titled Bari Barenyam that showcases OLIC and Pani Panchayat’s success, and the release of guidelines, brochures, and FAQs for effective project management.
Chief Secretary Ahuja also visited a photo exhibition highlighting OLIC’s achievements, while Executive Director Sibasis Padhi delivered the vote of thanks. The event saw significant participation from farmers, women farmers, Pani Panchayat members, OLIC officials, and engineers from the Water Resources Department.
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