Bhubaneswar: To improve urban water infrastructure, Odisha’s Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr. Krushna Chandra Mohapatra announced that all municipalities in the state will receive quality drinking water by March 2027, with an uninterrupted 24/7 supply to every household.
Chairing a high-level review meeting in Bhubaneswar, Dr. Mohapatra emphasized timely execution of ongoing drinking water projects and introduced plans to enhance the use of river water by constructing barrages. “Currently, only 17% of the river water is utilized, with the rest draining into the sea. Our focus is to harness this untapped potential through well-planned barrage construction,” he said.
As part of the initiative, smart water meters will be introduced on a pilot basis to streamline the collection of drinking water charges in urban areas, ensuring both efficient billing and water usage monitoring.
The minister directed officials to conduct regular reviews and on-ground supervision of all water supply projects, flagging delays and instructing for swift rectification. “Pending projects will be expedited after identifying bottlenecks. There is no room for complacency,” Dr. Mohapatra said.
The meeting was attended by key officials including Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department; Guru Charan Das, Managing Director of WATCO; Ratindra Narayan Mallick, EIC of OWSSB; and Bilas Behera, EIC of PHEO, among others.
