​​​​​​​Bhubaneswar, Dec 24: The Odisha State Cabinet on Wednesday approved the tender for the execution of four Lift Irrigation Schemes under the Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Scheme in the Jharsuguda district.

The project aims to create an additional irrigation potential of 6,480 hectares and benefit farmers living in 101 villages.

The project involves lifting water from the IB River, Hirakud Reservoir, and Bheden River, and distributing it through a pressurized system. The execution cost is estimated at Rs. 167.33 crore (without GST), and the operation and maintenance cost for 15 years is Rs. 13.38 crore (without GST).

The project is expected to be completed in 36 months and will encourage farmers to shift from paddy crops to cash crops, improving their socio-economic conditions.

The Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Scheme is a state initiative aimed at providing supplemental irrigation to upland areas, and this project is part of the larger scheme with an outlay of Rs. 10,759.20 crore, said Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja while briefing media today.