Odisha reviews Jal Jeevan Mission, sets timelines for completion of rural water projects

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government on Tuesday reviewed the progress of drinking water and sanitation projects across the state, with a focus on completing pending infrastructure works and strengthening rural water supply systems under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

The review took place during the 19th meeting of the Steering Committee of the Odisha Water and Sanitation Mission (OWSM) and the Jal Jeevan Mission State Apex Committee, chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg at Lok Seva Bhawan. The meeting was attended by Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary of the Water Resources Department Shubha Sharma, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department S.N. Girish, and senior officials from various departments.

Director of Drinking Water and Sanitation Vineet Bhardwaj presented the status of major drinking water projects, service delivery, and reform initiatives being implemented under the mission.

According to the review, 42 out of 207 Mega Piped Water Supply Projects have been completed. Work on water treatment plants and network expansion under another 44 projects has also been completed, enabling partial or full water supply. Officials said the remaining projects are being closely monitored for timely execution.

The committee was informed that 18,737 of the 19,086 Small Drinking Water Projects have been completed and the remaining works are expected to be finished by October 2026. Similarly, 6,637 of the 8,863 solar-powered drinking water projects have been completed, with the rest targeted for completion by November 2026.

The meeting also deliberated on reforms proposed under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, including strengthening operation and maintenance systems, improving village-level technical support, enhancing water quality monitoring, ensuring sustainability of water resources and promoting greater community participation in water management.

Reviewing the Har Ghar Jal programme, officials said drinking water infrastructure has been extended to 16,724 villages, while water supply has been verified in 12,484 villages. The remaining villages are expected to be covered by October 2026.

The committee also reviewed the progress of the Sujalam Bharat – Digital Governance initiative, under which more than 94,000 villages have been brought under digital monitoring. Geo-tagging of assets, project inspections and establishment of a Command and Control Centre are expected to be completed by December 2026. Discussions also covered capacity building, research, innovation and financial literacy in the water sector.

The meeting further assessed the State Improvement Plan, implementation of drinking water projects under PM-JANMAN and DA-JGUA, and efforts to achieve universal household tap water connectivity.

Progress under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) was also reviewed. Officials informed that more than 96 per cent of villages in Odisha have attained ODF Plus Model Village status, while solid and liquid waste management continues to receive priority under the rural sanitation programme.