Odisha Launches Rs Six Billion Bridge-Cum-Weir Scheme

17 Jul 2026 CW Team

The Odisha government has launched a five-year bridge-cum-weir scheme with an outlay of Rs six billion (Rs 6 bn) to enhance rural connectivity and water conservation across districts. The scheme, to be implemented from 2026-27 to 2030-31, will convert existing bridges into structures that provide uninterrupted road connectivity and impound water for irrigation, groundwater recharge, livestock and domestic use.

The Rural Development department said 670 bridge-cum-weir projects will be taken up during the period. The programme will include 106 new projects and completion of 162 spill-over projects in 2026-27 at an estimated cost of Rs 550 million (Rs 550 mn), and will continue with 100 projects each year from 2027-28 to 2030-31 supported by an allocation of Rs 5.45 billion (Rs 5.45 bn). The total investment over the five-year period will be Rs six billion (Rs 6 bn).

To ensure safety and long-term sustainability the government has prescribed technical criteria for project selection and will consider only structurally sound bridges with open or raft foundations. Preference will be given to bridges where rigid floor protection is already in good condition and to sites with mild to moderate stream-bed slopes to minimise scouring and structural damage.

Selected bridges should be located across streams with moderate to low water currents where velocity generally does not exceed three metres per second and where stable well-defined embankments can safely store impounded water without flooding adjoining areas. The scheme requires that bridge-cum-weirs directly benefit nearby habitations, agricultural fields and livestock by providing dependable water storage and the government has said a third-party evaluation will be carried out at the end of the period to assess socio-economic and environmental impact and inform decisions on continuation.

Infrastructure Transport

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