High-Level Meeting Held to Boost Coordination for Mega Piped Water Supply Projects in Odisha
99 out of 151 pending issues resolved; forest clearances and encroachments on NH under scrutiny
Bhubaneswar: A high-level inter-departmental coordination meeting was convened on Tuesday at Lok Seva Bhawan to fast-track the implementation of Odisha’s Mega Piped Water Supply (PWS) Projects. The meeting, chaired by the Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary, aimed to ensure the timely and effective execution of these critical rural infrastructure projects through improved collaboration among departments.
Senior officials from the departments of Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, Rural Development, Works, Forest & Environment, and Energy participated in the meeting. Representatives from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) were also present, given their role in resolving land and infrastructure-related issues impacting the projects.
During the meeting, officials reviewed a total of 151 pending issues and approvals essential to the progress of the Mega PWS projects. Encouragingly, 99 of these have already been addressed. The Development Commissioner urged the concerned departments to expedite the resolution of the remaining issues, emphasizing the importance of inter-agency cooperation to prevent delays.
To maintain momentum, a follow-up review meeting has been scheduled within the next 15 days to assess progress on unresolved matters. Furthermore, the Inter-Departmental Committee on Rural Drinking Water Supply will reconvene in one month to ensure complete resolution of all outstanding issues.
A major focus of the discussion was the delay in forest clearances, which often impedes project execution. To address this, the committee decided to organize a dedicated meeting specifically for forest clearance-related concerns, aiming to streamline and fast-track approval processes.
Another key issue raised during the meeting was the presence of encroachments along National Highways, which obstruct the laying of pipelines and other essential utility works. Officials agreed to conduct a thorough assessment to determine the extent of these encroachments and initiate measures for their removal.
With the goal of delivering clean and safe drinking water to rural populations, the Odisha government is pushing for accelerated implementation of these large-scale projects. The coordinated approach, as discussed in the meeting, is expected to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks and improve the pace of development across the state.
