Odisha will be benefitted in a big way with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approving the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II and III.

The CCEA chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposals with the financial assistance of the World Bank (WB) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to improve the safety and operational performance of selected dams across the whole country, along with institutional strengthening with system wide management approach.

The project cost is Rs 10,211 crore.  The project will be implemented over a period of 10 years duration in two phases, each of six years' duration with two years overlapping from April, 2021 to March, 2031.The share of external funding is Rs 7,000 crore of the total project cost, and balance Rs 3,211 crore is to be borne by the concerned implementing agencies (IAs).The contribution of the Central Government is Rs 1,024 crore as loan liability and Rs 285 crore as counterpart funding for Central component.At least 36 critical dams in Odisha will be benefitted in DRIP phase II and III. These projects were posed by the Department of Water Resources(DoWR), which has been accepted by the Union Government for funding.

Odisha performed well in DRIP Phase I and its performance was appreciated in the International Dam Safety Conference held here in Bhubaneswar in 2019.

At least 26 dams including Hirakud Spillway was covered in DRIP Phase I.DRIP Phase II and Phase III envisage to improve the safety and performance of selected existing dams and associated appurtenances in a sustainable manner and to strengthen the dam safety institutional setup in participating States as well as at central level.

It will also explore the alternative incidental means at a few selected dams to generate the incidental revenue for sustainable operation and maintenance of dams.