Odisha Reviews Mega Piped Water Supply Projects, Resolves Majority of Pending Issues

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to expedite the implementation of Mega Piped Water Supply (PWS) Projects across Odisha, a high-level inter-departmental coordination meeting was held today at Lok Seva Bhawan, Bhubaneswar under the chairmanship of the Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary. This marks the second meeting of the committee formed to ensure timely execution of the state’s large-scale rural drinking water supply projects.

The meeting witnessed the participation of senior officials, including Secretaries, Engineers-in-Chief, and technical heads from departments such as Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, Rural Development, Works, Forest & Environment, and Energy, along with representatives from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

During the first meeting on July 4, 2025, the committee identified 151 key issues and pending approvals that required inter-departmental coordination. In today’s session, the Development Commissioner reviewed the status of these issues and announced that 99 of them have already been resolved, reflecting significant progress. He urged all departments to accelerate efforts to address the remaining challenges and ensure seamless project implementation.

To maintain the momentum, it was decided that a follow-up review meeting will be held within 15 days, chaired by the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, to assess further progress. Additionally, the Inter-Departmental Committee on Rural Drinking Water Supply will reconvene within a month, with the goal of resolving all outstanding matters.

One of the key areas of concern raised during the meeting was the delayed forest clearances, which are crucial not just for drinking water supply projects but also for infrastructure works under departments such as Works, Rural Development, and Water Resources. It was agreed that a dedicated meeting under the Development Commissioner’s chairmanship would soon be held to address forest clearance-related bottlenecks.

The committee also took note of encroachments along National Highways, which have been impacting pipeline laying and other utility works. An assessment will be carried out to determine the extent of these encroachments, and a separate meeting will be convened to address the issue in a focused manner.

The session concluded with a collective call for sustained and coordinated action among all stakeholder departments to ensure that every rural household in Odisha has access to safe, reliable, and universal piped drinking water, in line with the state’s long-term vision for rural infrastructure development.