World Water Day 2026: CM launches projects worth over Rs 2600 crore, advocates water conservation

Bhubaneswar: The state-level celebration of World Water Day 2026 was held at the Lok Seva Bhawan Convention Centre in the Odisha capital here today.

Gracing the occasion as chief guest, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched projects worth around Rs 2,612 crore of the Water Resources Department. He inaugurated altogether 120 projects worth around Rs 320 crore and laid foundation stones for 17 others worth Rs 2,292 crore in the state.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister advocated for water conservation as well as harvesting of rainwater to avoid shortage of water in future.

“Every drop of water is precious for us. Several countries in the world are now facing water crisis. We should opt for water conservation as well as rainwater harvesting to avoid any such situation in future,” said the Chief Minister.

According to the Chief Minister, the children should learn about water conservation from their schools. “Our children should be groomed as the future water warriors. They should be made aware about the judicious use of water,” Majhi stated.

The Chief Minister reiterated the Centre as well as the state government’s commitment to provide potable water to every household. “The government is now imparting training on water conservation to women through Catch the Rain initiative. The members of women self-help groups (SHGs) have been entrusted with the task of managing the drinking water initiatives of the state government,” said the Chief Minister.

The state government has taken steps to ensure irrigation facilities for additional 2.20 lakh hectares of land in Odisha. Similarly, the government has introduced several measures to recharge the groundwater, he added.