Odisha Plans 80 New MIPs and 3,000 Check Dams to Boost Irrigation Over Next Five Years

Bhubaneswar: Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary to the Government, Smt. Anu Garg, IAS, emphasized the need to improve the State’s irrigation capacity by building more Minor Irrigation Projects (MIPs) and Check Dams in the coming days.

She chaired a high-level meeting in the Department of Water Resources on Friday, 11th April 2025, where she reviewed various ongoing projects and gave key instructions and suggestions to boost irrigation through the construction of MIPs and Check Dams.

The State Government has been focusing on water conservation and management, giving it high priority. Efforts are being made to ensure that water reaches even the tail-end farmers through canals and irrigation systems. While different systems such as Large, Medium, Small, Lift, and Mega Lift Irrigation are being used, MIPs play a crucial role in increasing the overall irrigation potential of the State.

In line with the Hon’ble Chief Minister’s commitment, as announced in the budget speech, to create irrigation potential for 15 lakh hectares over the next five years, the meeting with Minor Irrigation officials discussed how MI could make a major contribution to achieving this goal.

A plan to construct 80 new MIPs and 3,000 Check Dams over the next five years, based on site-specific feasibility, was also discussed during the meeting.