97% of waterbodies in Odisha concentrated in villages

In a significant revelation by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, the first-ever census of waterbodies has identified a total of 182,000 waterbodies in Odisha, with an overwhelming 97.9% located in rural areas. Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Bishweswar Tudu, shared these findings in the Rajya Sabha, highlighting the predominance of smaller waterbodies in the state.

The census data indicates that 77.6% of these waterbodies have a water spread area of less than 0.5 hectares, while 11.6% span between 0.5 to 1 hectare. This distribution underscores the critical role of small waterbodies in the rural landscape of Odisha.

In a move to enhance water conservation and management, the central scheme Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Har Khet Ko Pani (PMKSY-HKKP) has taken up 1,390 waterbodies in Odisha for renovation. Out of these, 458 have been reported as complete, marking a step forward in the state’s efforts to improve its water infrastructure.

Water management is primarily the responsibility of state governments. However, the Government of India is providing substantial support through financial assistance for the repair, renovation, and restoration of eligible water bodies under the PMKSY-HKKP scheme. This scheme targets rural water bodies with a minimum water spread area of 2 hectares, with relaxed criteria for North Eastern, Sikkim, and hilly states, including the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

Listed water bodies are in rural areas

The 1st census of water bodies conducted by Ministry of Jal Shakti has enumerated 1.82 lakh water bodies in the State of Odisha, out of which 97.9% are in rural areas. 77.6% of these water bodies have water spread area less than 0.5 hectare, while 11.6% have water spread area between 0.5 to 1.0 hectare

As mentioned above, a total of 1,390 number of water bodies from the State of Odisha have been taken up for renovation under PMKSY-HKKP, out of which 458 are reported to be complete.

waterbodies in Districtwise

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