Odisha Launches First Comprehensive Water Resources Census to Boost Statewide Planning and Management

Odisha Launches First Comprehensive Water Resources Census to Boost Statewide Planning and Management

Following a directive from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Odisha government will conduct its first-ever comprehensive census of water resources across the state, an official announcement said.

The censuses are being conducted using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) and a web-based application. This includes the first-ever censuses of major and medium irrigation projects, as well as a census of springs. Additionally, it covers the second census of water bodies and the seventh census of minor irrigation schemes.

Development Commissioner Anu Garg reviewed the ongoing water resource census initiatives in the state during a high-level meeting held on Monday. The review was attended by senior officials from the Departments of Water Resources, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, Electronics and IT, as well as the Directorate of Economics and Statistics. Also present were representatives from the Chief Engineer's Office (Minor Irrigation), Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation, Central Ground Water Board, and the State Groundwater Board. In addition, Superintending Engineers, Deputy Directors, and members of District Project Management Units (DPMUs) from across all districts participated in the meeting.

The focus of the meeting was on the effective implementation of the irrigation and spring censuses to capture quality data. “This is a unique opportunity for the state to create a comprehensive database of all water resources from the village level to the state level. For the first time, this is being conducted in a coordinated and convergent manner by the Department of Water Resources and Planning and the Convergence Department. This is a unique instance of users and producers of the statistics working together to ensure better data quality,” the report noted. 

While reviewing the progress of the census programmes, Development Commissioner Anu Garg underscored the importance of a coordinated and convergent approach among all stakeholders to ensure high-quality data collection. She highlighted that the goal is to develop a comprehensive database of all water resources across the state. This database will serve as a critical foundation for effective planning and management of water resources, supporting diverse needs such as irrigation, industry, aquaculture, and both human and livestock consumption.

Garg also directed Superintending Engineers, Executive Engineers, and Deputy Directors of Planning and Statistics at the district level to work in close coordination to ensure the successful execution of the census operations.