Orissa to implement Rs 305 cr. Ong irrigation prject soon

Bhubaneswar, Feb 11 (PTI) Exactly eight years afterthe Ministry of Environment and Forest accorded stage-Iforest clearance to Ong Irrigarion Project, the Orissagovernment has decided to go ahead with the major project tobe implemented at an estimated cost of Rs 305 crore, officialsources said.

"Notification for land acquisition for the Ongproject has already been made. The state government hasalso made budgetary allocation for the purpose," WaterResources Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra told reportersafter holding a discussion with the local MLA and state''sScheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Minister Bijay RanjanSingh Bariha.

Stating that the project would irrigate about 30,000hecatre of land in Bargarh district, Mohapatra said thatpublic hearing for the pupose was conducted both in Orissa andneighbouring Chhatishgarh state.

The drought prone area of Padmapur, Sohela, Bijepur,Gaisilat blocks of Padampur in Baragarah district and Agalpurblock of Balangir district would get irrigation facilitiesafter completion of the project, Mohapatra said.

While Rs 10 crore was allocated for the project in thecurrent fiscal, Rs 15 crore could be sanctioned in 2011-12,Mohapatra said adding that there was apparently no oppositionto the project in Bargarh''s Padmapur area.

While the Stage-I Forest clearance had been receivedfrom MOEF during February, 2003, the public hearing forenvironment clearance was conducted on August 6, 2004 inOrissa and on September 11, 2007 in Chhatisgarh. (More) PTIAAM CR