Only 16 of 207 water supply projects completed in Odisha: Minister Naik

Replying to question by BJD MLA Souvic Biswal, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik said the projects were targeted to be completed in two years after issuance of work orders

Only sixteen of 207 approved mega piped water supply projects have been completed in Odisha and the rest are in progress, a minister informed the assembly on Tuesday.

Replying to a question by BJD legislator Souvic Biswal, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik said the projects were targeted to be completed in two years after issuance of work orders.

However, some projects got delayed due to various reasons, including delays in the conduct of detailed engineering surveys and investigations, identification of the source of water and approval of different departments, Naik said.

Considering the prevailing issues and progress, steps are being taken to complete the ongoing 191 projects in three phases, he said.

Fifty-six projects were targeted to be completed by March 2025, and an additional 54 would be to be completed by December 2025, the minister said.

A target has been set to complete the remaining 81 piped water supply projects, which were started at the end of 2022 and early 2023, by June 2026, Naik informed the House.

He also blamed the previous BJD government for the delay in the execution of these projects.

Contractors, who do not belong to Odisha, have performed only minimal tasks such as installing pipes, ceasing operations before constructing key structures like intake wells, and purification of the water, Naik said.

The contractors have also taken away the cream of the total allocated funds, he claimed.

The minister informed the House that the contractors have been asked to speed up the work.

The government is committed to providing drinking water to all, he added.

Participating in the discussion, senior BJD MLA Badri Narayan Patra said that delay in water projects is a major reason behind the defeat of several candidates during the last 2024 election.

I have personally experienced voters' anger due to the non-completion of promised projects before elections. Candidates, who narrowly lost elections, felt that voters' dissatisfaction was caused by these postponements, he added.