Bhubaneswar, Odisha : Committed to providing clean and safe drinking water to every household, the Odisha government is intensifying efforts to fast-track its expansive water supply projects across rural areas. Drinking Water and Panchayati Raj Minister Shri Ravinarayan Naik chaired a high-level review meeting at the State Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Institute in Bhubaneswar, urging officials to ensure timely completion of all ongoing projects.
Minister Naik emphasized that delivering pure drinking water to all families in Odisha remains a top priority for the government. Currently, out of 207 mega drinking water schemes, 18 projects have been fully completed, while work on the remaining schemes is being expedited with close monitoring.
Highlighting the progress, the minister noted that over 10,000 villages and 552 Gram Panchayats have been included under the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme, ensuring historic access to drinking water in rural communities. Notably, all villages in Nuapada district are now covered under this initiative, marking a major milestone for rural water security.
To accelerate project completion, the government has set a target to finish 54 more schemes by December 2025. Shri Naik instructed officials to hold agencies accountable, impose penalties on delays, and ensure strict oversight to guarantee deadlines are met.
The state has installed over 5.27 lakh hand pumps, 21,401 production wells, and 15,155 overhead tanks, all regularly sanitized to maintain water quality. Last year, of 29,512 approved hand pumps, around 20,891 are already operational.
Additional Secretary Shri S.N. Girish and senior officials, including Drinking Water Director Shri Vinit Bhardwaj and Chief Engineer Shri Ratnakar Shial, actively participated, sharing key updates on project status.
With strong leadership and focused monitoring, Odisha is steadily moving towards universal access to safe, clean drinking water — a critical step in improving public health and strengthening rural livelihoods across the state.
