BERHAMPUR: Proper management of existing water projects can alleviate scarcity of water for drinking and irrigation, opined resource persons at a workshop organised on water resource management in the city on Saturday.

Over 70 delegates from Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts attended the workshop organised by the Regional Centre for Development Cooperation (RCDC) and Centre for Water for Life (CWL).

Inaugurating the workshop, Kisan Sabha State president Biswanath Sahu said centuries old irrigation projects based on linking of reservoirs through canals in Gajapati district needs renovation and increase of capacity.

According to him similar projects of medium scale are right answer to increasing water crisis in South Orissa.

Pipalpanka project

Social activist Bhagaban Sahu felt the proposed Pipalpanka project on Rushikulya river can solve the irrigation and drinking water scarcity in Ganjam district.

But he opposed any move by the State Government to hand over the project to any company for industrial use.

Prabhat Mohanty of the city blamed improper management of available drinking water supply to be the reason behind the perennial drinking water crisis in the city. Ajit Sahu said that Dakhinpur and Bada Madhapur drinking water projects that supply drinking water to the city have got their capacity reduced in the recent past.

Jaminikant Das, executive engineer of Minor Irrigation (MI) department, said that Ganjam district had highest number of MI projects in the state.

Director of the RCDC Tapan Padhi pointed out how water was going to be scarce commodity in urban as well as rural areas in near future due to improper management resources.

He also said in urban areas increase in concrete structures had led to lack of groundwater recharging and the groundwater level was depleting in these areas drastically.

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