Bhubaneswar: In a bid to accelerate the implementation of Mega Piped Water Supply (PWS) Projects and ensure universal access to safe drinking water in rural Odisha, a high-level inter-departmental coordination meeting was held at Lok Seva Bhawan today under the chairpersonship of Anu Garg, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Odisha.
Senior officials from the Departments of Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, Rural Development, Works, Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Energy, and representatives from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) took part in the deliberations. Engineer-in-Chiefs and technical heads of various departments also joined the discussion to address implementation bottlenecks and expedite project delivery.
During the meeting, the Committee reviewed the progress of ongoing Mega PWS projects and directed that all pending issues must be resolved within a month. To facilitate faster coordination, weekly or fortnightly joint reviews have been proposed, along with the creation of a dedicated WhatsApp group comprising nodal officers for real-time updates and decisions.
Highlighting the critical need for technology-driven operations and maintenance (O&M), Garg announced that a robust digital monitoring platform is being developed to track the performance of these schemes. The system will initially integrate Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) mechanisms in major projects and gradually expand to include Internet of Things (IoT) applications for smaller schemes.
To strengthen field-level operations, the state will establish Project Management Units (PMUs) at the district level. Additionally, Self-Help Group (SHG) members will be trained in water quality monitoring using Field Testing Kits (FTKs), proper sampling techniques, and digital reporting via the Jal Jeevan Mission mobile application.
Emphasizing a shift from infrastructure-focused delivery to a service-oriented approach, the Committee stressed the need for institutional reforms within the implementing department. A study of national best practices will be undertaken to propose an organizational restructuring aimed at improving the responsiveness and sustainability of rural water supply systems.
Addressing frequent damage to pipeline infrastructure caused by civil works from other agencies, the Committee approved a proposal to issue a government resolution mandating prior excavation notices via platforms like CBuD. It also called for GIS-based mapping of pipeline networks to mitigate risks and ensure accountability.
