Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the much-awaited ₹431-crore Janibili drinking water project for Berhampur and rural areas of Ganjam district on Sunday.
During the ceremony in Berhampur, he also launched the ‘Smart Park’ scheme for 114 urban centres in the State. As part of the ongoing ‘Unnati Yojana’ in the State, more than 200 parks with an array of amenities will be developed in these urban areas over the next six months at a cost of ₹200 crore.
Mr. Patnaik said that the State government has decided to implement the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for all employees of urban local bodies in Odisha.
Another project launched was renovation and development of crematoriums with toilets, changing rooms, drinking water facility and provision for devotional music in these urban centres. This project is being taken up at a cost of ₹200 crore.
First phase of the Janibili project became operational from Sunday. The government has termed it the first ‘integrated mega water supply project’ of Odisha. Apart from Berhampur, this project will benefit Berhampur city and 53 villages in 16 panchayats. As per an estimate, it will supply 300 lakh litres of drinking water to over five lakh inhabitants of these areas through a 253-km-long network of pipeline.
A large reservoir has been built at Janibili in Dharakote block of Ganjam district. Water would be brought to Jagdalpur on the outskirts of Berhampur for purification by a 55-km-long pipeline. The 53 villages on the pipeline’s path will also get water from it. Earlier Berhampur was getting 54 Million Litres per Day from the Dakhinpur reservoir and the Rushikulya drinking water supply system, while its requirement was 64 MLD or more. Drinking water was becoming too scarce during the summer months and had to be supplied through tankers to several areas of the city.