The Department of Water Resources, Government of Odisha, organised a one-day workshop on “Smart Irrigation and Demand-Driven Water Management – Technologies, Innovations & Pathways to Scale” at the Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhawan, focusing on making the State’s irrigation systems more efficient, responsive and farmer-centric. Organised in collaboration with JICA and Nippon Koei, the workshop brought together policymakers, senior officials, engineers, and technical experts to deliberate on emerging approaches to irrigation and water management.
Principal Secretary, Department of Water Resources, Shubha Sarma, IAS, along with the Engineer-in-Chiefs of the Department, Dillip Kumar Rout, Bighnaraj Purohit, Susil Kumar Behera, Purna Chandra Rath, Subrat Kumar Nayak, Additional Secretary, and other senior officials of the Department, were also present.
The workshop also saw the participation of Mr Takeuchi Takuro, Chief Representative, JICA India, and Dr G. Sampath Kumar, Managing Director, Nippon Koei India. Technical experts included Mr. Siddharth Parameswaran, Development Specialist, JICA India; Dr. Sunil Chauhan, Project Director, HPCPD Phase-II, Himachal Pradesh; Mr. Arindam Mishra, State Programme Manager, JSLPS, Jharkhand; Mr. Jitendra Dixit, Chief Engineer, RWSLIP, Rajasthan; Mr. Takuya Nakagawa, Director–Technical & Project Division, Nippon Koei India; Ms. Riko Sakata, Specialist, DX Advancement in Infrastructure, Nippon Koei, Tokyo, Japan; and Mr. Mukul Singh, Chief IT Officer, Nippon Koei India.
Against the backdrop of climate variability, changing rainfall patterns, and growing demand for water across sectors, the discussions emphasised the need to move beyond infrastructure creation and focus on efficient water use, real-time information, improved irrigation services, and water management in line with farmers’ requirements. The workshop explored how digital technologies, innovation and data-driven approaches can be integrated into Odisha’s irrigation systems.
During the inaugural session, Principal Secretary, Department of Water Resources, stressed the need to ensure that irrigation benefits extend beyond assured water supply by linking irrigation with crop diversification, higher agricultural productivity and improved livelihoods of farmers. The former Chief Engineer of the JICA-assisted Rengali Irrigation Project delivered the welcome address and set the context for the workshop. The Chief Representative of JICA India and the Managing Director of Nippon Koei India also shared their experiences and perspectives.
The technical sessions brought together experiences from Odisha, other States and international partners. A presentation on OIIPCRA highlighted climate-resilient irrigation, minor irrigation tank systems and farmer-centric water management, including tank rehabilitation, Pani Panchayats, climate-resilient agriculture and convergence with fisheries and livelihood activities.
JICA shared its experience on the agriculture and irrigation scenario in India and its multifaceted support to the sector, while the experience of the JICA-assisted Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Promotion Project was also presented. Best practices in drip irrigation and crop diversification from Jharkhand and the experience of the Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project were further discussed.
The workshop also featured international experiences on digital transformation in water management in Japan and Indonesia, highlighting the potential of technology for better monitoring, planning and decision-making. Discussions on data-driven flood and watershed management, with lessons from Tokyo, and the possibilities of technology integration for smart irrigation and demand-driven water management in Odisha further enriched the deliberations.
The discussions highlighted the growing importance of real-time information, digital platforms, technology-enabled monitoring and data-based decision-making in improving irrigation efficiency. The need to align technological solutions with field-level institutions and farmers’ requirements was also emphasised. Senior officers and employees of the Department of Water Resources, engineers associated with various irrigation projects and river basins, and experts and representatives from JICA and Nippon Koei India participated in the workshop, facilitating the exchange of field experience, technical knowledge and best practices.
