Odisha Industries To Contribute For Water Conservation Fund

02 November, Bhubaneswar

The Odisha government Monday decided that the industries using water from barrages and other sources would contribute to Water Conservation Fund in installments.

The state cabinet held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik decided that the industries drawing more than or equal to one cusec of water shall contribute Rs 2.5 crore to the Water Conservation Fun in five equal installments in next five years beginning with the current financial year.

The government, in June last, had notified that the industries using water shall contribute one time deposit of Rs 2.5 crore/cusecs of water towards the water conservation fund. The Industries and Industrial Association then requested the government either to waive or defer the payment. But the government decided that the industries would pay the amount in five equal installments.

The government, he said, is expected to get Rs 450 crore for use of 900 cusecs of water in next five years. The fund collected would be utilised for construction of different water conservation projects such as barrages, check dams in the upstream areas so that water could be used in lean seasons for agricultural, industrial and other purposes.

The government asked the industries to contribute towards the corpus fund as the water in a reservoir is mainly used by industries in the non-monsoon period between October to June every year and wanted them to take social responsibility for water conservation.