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Key Points

The Odisha government is embarking on its first comprehensive water resources census, which follows guidelines from the Ministry of Jalshakti. This initiative involves a state-wide effort to record data on major and minor irrigation, springs, and water bodies using advanced digital tools. Reviewed by Development Commissioner Anu Garg, the census emphasizes a coordinated approach among numerous state departments and aims to improve data quality and database creation. The collected data will support various water resource needs across the state, including agriculture and human consumption.

Key Points: Odisha's First Statewide Water Resources Census Initiative

  • Odisha to conduct inaugural water resources census
  • Includes irrigation, springs, and water bodies
  • Coordinated effort among state departments for quality data collection
2 min read

Odisha govt to carry out water resources census

Odisha launches its inaugural water resources census to build a comprehensive database for state-wide planning.

"A unique opportunity for the state to create a comprehensive database of all water resources. - Official Statement"

Bhubaneswar, June 2

Odisha government will carry out a census of various water resources in the state for the first time, an official said on Monday.

The census is being carried out following the instructions of the Ministry of Jalshakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. The censuses are undertaken through Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) and a web-based application comprising four censuses—first censuses of major and medium irrigation and the census of springs, second census of water bodies, and the 7th census of minor irrigation.

“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,” reads the statement.

Development Commissioner Anu Garg reviewed the census programmes being carried out in the state, which was also attended by senior officials of Water Resources, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, E&IT departments, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Chief Engineer, Minor Irrigation, Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation, Central Ground Water Board, and State Groundwater Board. Besides, Superintending Engineers, Deputy Directors, and DPMUs from all the districts were also present during the meeting held on Monday.

The focus of the meeting was on the effective implementation of the irrigation and spring censuses to capture quality data. While reviewing the census programmes, Garg emphasised a coordinated and convergent approach among all stakeholders for quality data collection so that a comprehensive database of all water resources can be made. This will serve as a comprehensive database for planning water resources of the state for irrigation, industry, pisciculture, human and animal consumption, etc.

She also instructed the Superintending Engineer, Executive Engineer, and Deputy Director, Planning and Statistics at the district level to work together to make these census operations a grand success.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Prakash M.
Finally! A much-needed initiative. Odisha has been facing water scarcity issues in many districts. This census will help in proper planning and distribution. Hope they include traditional water bodies like 'pokharis' and village ponds too. 🙏
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Sunita K.
Good move but execution is key. Last time similar surveys had incomplete data from remote areas. They should involve local panchayats properly and give adequate training to survey teams. Water is life for our farmers!
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Rajesh P.
As someone from Kalahandi district, I've seen how water mismanagement affects agriculture. This census should also track illegal borewells and groundwater depletion. Our ancient stepwells are drying up due to reckless usage.
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Ananya S.
Hope they make the data publicly available for researchers and NGOs. Water conservation needs community participation. Maybe they can launch a citizen reporting app too? #JalShakti
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Manoj T.
While the initiative is good, I'm concerned about duplication of efforts. The article mentions multiple departments involved - hope there's proper coordination. We don't want another case of conflicting data like the agricultural census.
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Biswajit N.
Odisha's water management can become a model for other states if done properly. Our state has both flood-prone and drought-hit areas. Accurate data will help balance water distribution. Kudos to the team! 👍

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