Rajasthan Delegation Studies Odisha’s ‘Drink from Tap’ and Urban Governance Models

12 Jun 2026, 14:17 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

A high-level technical delegation from Rajasthan recently made a visit to Odisha, eager to see how the state has made citizen-focused infrastructure work so well—especially when it comes to water supply and urban development. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) supported the trip through its Exposure Visit programme, bringing nine officials from the Rajasthan Urban Drinking Water, Sewerage and Infrastructure Corporation Limited (RUIDP) in Jaipur. For their study tour, they spent time in Bhubaneswar and Puri, digging into projects on modern public transport, sustainable urban infrastructure, sanitation management, and advanced water distribution.

The highlight was a joint session at the Odisha Urban Academy. Here, Usha Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary of Odisha’s Housing and Urban Development Department, laid out the roadmap behind Odisha’s urban transformation. She detailed a planning approach that puts citizens needs at the focus of every big project. Her presentation spotlighted the ‘Drink from Tap’ program—Odisha’s flagship initiative that guarantees round-the-clock safe drinking water and now serves as a national model for other states aiming to do the same. Padhee also broke down how they’ve pulled off integrated city planning, scientific waste management, tech-driven governance, and robust urban sanitation.

Impressed by what they saw, the Rajasthan officials said they’re committed to bringing back and applying several of Odisha’s municipal strategies at home. Both Odisha and Rajasthan’s teams agreed—the entire experience underlines just how crucial it is for states to share knowledge if India’s going to move forward.