OLIC Unveils 5-Year Master Plan to Expand Irrigation in Underserved Odisha Blocks

Bhubaneswar: To enhance irrigation coverage in Odisha, the Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation (OLIC) presented an ambitious five-year master plan to create an additional 9 lakh hectares of irrigation potential, focusing particularly on blocks with less than 35% existing coverage. The proposal was reviewed during the 209th meeting of the OLIC Board of Directors, chaired by Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary and Chairperson of OLIC, Anu Garg, IAS, at Lok Seva Bhawan today.

The plan includes the installation of 10,380 cluster lift irrigation points (CLIPs) and 1,50,500 deep borewells from 2025-26 to 2029-30. A major thrust will be on solar energization to ensure long-term sustainability and reduce reliance on conventional energy sources.

Acknowledging the increased scale of operations, Garg urged OLIC to work in close coordination with other departments to maximize impact. She emphasised the need to integrate sustainability, energy efficiency, crop diversification, empowerment of women farmers, and adoption of IT-enabled systems as core principles in implementation.

The proposed expansion is expected to boost agricultural productivity and resilience, especially in regions currently underserved by traditional irrigation networks. The Board expressed support for the vision and stressed timely and efficient execution of the plan.