A plan to fortify Orissas tanks
Pani panchayats to manage tanks, pay a part of the cost
A WORLD bank-funded project to rebuild irrigation tanks across Orissa to improve agricultural productivity and provide livelihood support to villagers may flounder like several such schemes in the past. The Rs 546-crore Orissa Community Tank Management Project (octmp) is being implemented in 29 of the 30 districts, including the most backward Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput belt.
Nine hundred water tanks capable of irrigating 120,000 hectares (ha) have been identified by the government for repairs. Once they are ready, they would be handed over to water users