Odisha first to get approval for groundwater recharge project

Bhubaneswar: Odisha on Friday become the first State to get approval for implementing ground water recharge project under the Green Climate Fund (GMF). An agreement between the Odisha Water Resources department and NABARD was signed in this regard in presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today.

“This is the first project in the country from the Green Climate Fund based in South Korea. The project envisages massive ground water recharge at an estimated cost of Rs 1,100 crore,” said Patnaik.

Official sources said that Green Climate Fund will provide an assistance of Rs 240 crore while the Odisha government will arrange for the remaining fund through converging funding.

Apart from renovation and improvement of 10,000 tanks, the project aims to recharge at least 1,65,000 acre ft of water and development of 1,000 deep borewells with solar pumping facilities. The project will be completed within the next five years, informed sources.

“The project will also include capacity building of farmers. I hope that all the concerned departments will work in tandem and create a model for adaptive action,” Patnaik added.