The Odisha government has approved projects worth Rs 640.55 crore under Odisha mineral bearing areas development corporation (OMBADC) in the sectors of the secondary school's development, environmental monitoring, and sports development in urban local bodies (ULBs) of the districts. These approvals were granted in the board of directors meeting held under the Chairmanship of Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Chief Secretary, wherein Uma Nanduri, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OMBADC, presented the necessity and anticipated outcome of the projects for discussion. Approving the projects, Chief Secretary Mohapatra directed to provide global level education and exposure to the students under secondary school development programme. Through the new project, the smart classroom, e-library, science lab, ICT lab would be developed. The teachers must focus on giving the best education to the students with global exposure, he said. Mahapatra said such facilities should help children to participate with anyone at the national and global levels. He also stressed on development of the playground and joyful ambiance, and a learning ecosystem. Chief Executive Officer, OMBADC Uma Nanduri said that a total number of 889 secondary schools in the districts of Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Jharsuguda, Jajpur, Sundargarh, and Mayurbhanj districts were included under the project with an expected cost of Rs 533.40 crore. The development plan of multipurpose indoor stadiums valued at Rs 104.15 crore for eleven ULBs in mining-affected districts was also approved in the meeting. In these ULBs and their adjacent regions, the facility would nurture and promote sports talents. The project on the information and communication technology (ICT) and data science application for the environmental information system in Odisha's mining regions was also sanctioned in the meeting at an estimated cost of Rs 3.10 crore. The project envisions the development of a comprehensive database on periodic environmental data collected from mines by various statutory returns, clearances, and compliances. Nanduri estimated that the data created should be used in reducing pollution and decision-making activities about mining operations. Image SourceAlso read: BCCL inks Rs 1,800 cr CBM extraction pact with Prabha Energy