By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 10, 2021: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday dedicated projects worth Rs 2337.15 crore in Nuapada district including the Lower Indra mega irrigation project.

Addressing a public meeting, Naveen said 1.80 lakh people of 200 villages under the Komna and Khariar blocks of Nuapada district and Bangomunda, Muribahal, and Titlagarh blocks of Balangir district will be benefited from the irrigation project.

Describing it as an important irrigation project, the Chief Minister said it will not just meet the water need of the farmers but will bring a green revolution in the drought-prone Nuapada district.

Inaugurating the Rs 220 crore mega lift irrigation project, he said, it will be completed by the end of this year. The project will help irrigate around 18,000 hectares of agricultural land under Komna, Sinapali and Boden blocks of Nuapada district.

Besides, another 7,500 acres of land will be irrigated from Lower Indra through the underground pipeline, he added.

Claiming that the irrigation potential of the district has been enhanced to 54% in the last 10 years, Naveen said that 1.5 lakh acre of agricultural land has now received irrigation benefits promoting multi-crops and increasing yield of paddy, cotton, and maize. There is a significant increase in coverage under cotton and maize cultivation, he added.

The CM also announced that a science park and a museum will be set up at the Lower Indra dam site at a cost of Rs 3 crore.