Odisha’s SUJALA Mission: 24×7 Drinking Water for All 86 ULBs by 2028

05 May 2026, 14:20 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

The Odisha government has launched an ambitious roadmap to ensure universal 24×7 drinking water across all urban areas by 2028. Under the flagship SUJALA programme, a high-level review of the Public Health Engineering Organisation’s (PHEO) Annual Action Plan for 2026–29 was chaired by Usha Padhee, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of Housing & Urban Development. The initiative aims to address the needs of an urban population projected to reach 31.5 lakh across 86 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) by 2026, scaling up the current supply of 452 million litres per day (MLD).

The rollout is structured in a phased manner to maintain momentum. While nine ULBs successfully achieved 24×7 supply in 2025–26, the state plans to add 38 more ULBs to the list in 2026–27. The remaining 38 ULBs are scheduled for completion in 2027–28, effectively bringing the entire state under universal coverage within the next two years.

Financially, the mission is backed by a massive investment strategy. For the 2026–27 fiscal year, the government has allocated ₹1,500 crore to fund 391 projects, including 102 brand-new initiatives. Looking further ahead, another 92 projects valued at ₹978 crore have been lined up for 2027–28. To date, a total of 544 water supply projects have been sanctioned under SUJALA, with 289 already completed, focusing on source augmentation, distribution networks, and improved storage infrastructure.

Beyond infrastructure, the government is prioritizing sustainability and resource management. ACS Usha Padhee has directed officials to identify alternative water sources to prevent the waste of treated drinking water on non-essential activities like gardening, construction, and vehicle washing. The review meeting, attended by senior officials including Shri Bilas Behera (Engineer-in-Chief, PHEO) and Shri Subhananda Mohapatra (Additional Secretary), emphasized accelerated spending and timely execution to transform Odisha into a national leader in urban water security.