Odisha Launches ₹141.50-Crore Drought Mitigation Programme to Climate-Proof Agriculture

Bhubaneswar: In a major step towards building climate resilience in agriculture, the Odisha government on Wednesday launched the Odisha Agriculture Drought Mitigation Programme (OADMP), a ₹141.50-crore initiative aimed at shifting the State’s approach from reactive drought relief to proactive, science-driven risk mitigation.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the programme was signed by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment at the inaugural session of Krushi Odisha-2026, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo. The initiative is being implemented under the National Drought Mitigation Project (NDMP) framework and brings together key institutions including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), and leading international and national research bodies such as ICRISAT, IRRI and ICAR-CRIDA.

Unlike conventional, scheme-centric interventions, the OADMP adopts a “landscape-first” approach, integrating water, soil and crop management across entire village clusters. The programme focuses on building long-term resilience rather than providing short-term relief. “This project moves beyond temporary aid. We are building a system where science leads the way—from the farm to the entire value chain,” said Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee.

The project has a total outlay of ₹141.50 crore, funded through the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) and State government resources. It will be rolled out initially in three highly drought-vulnerable blocks—Komna in Nuapada district, Kosagumuda in Nabarangpur, and Raruan in Mayurbhanj. The programme is expected to directly benefit around 24,000 households, with many more gaining indirectly through convergence with existing State and Central schemes. A real-time digital dashboard will monitor key indicators such as soil moisture, crop performance and household incomes, ensuring transparency and data-driven scaling.

Key interventions under OADMP include the promotion of drought-tolerant seed varieties, community-managed water recharge systems, and practices aimed at increasing cropping intensity and yield stability. The programme also seeks to strengthen Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) by improving access to modern farm mechanisation and linking farmers to high-value markets.

The MoA was signed by Director of Agriculture & Food Production, Odisha, Shubham Saxena, along with Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT; Dr. V. K. Singh, Director, ICAR-CRIDA; and Dr. Swati Nayak, South Asia Lead, IRRI. With the launch of OADMP, Odisha has further reinforced its position as a national frontrunner in disaster risk reduction and climate-resilient agriculture, offering a scalable model for other drought-prone states across the country.