Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday held a one-day workshop on smart irrigation and demand-driven water management, with experts stressing the need to leverage digital technologies, real-time information and data-driven approaches to make irrigation systems more efficient and farmer-centric.
The workshop, titled “Smart Irrigation and Demand-Driven Water Management – Technologies, Innovations & Pathways to Scale”, was organised by the Department of Water Resources in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Nippon Koei at the Convention Centre of Lok Seva Bhawan.
The event brought together policymakers, senior government officials, engineers and technical experts to deliberate on emerging technologies and approaches for improving irrigation efficiency amid changing rainfall patterns, climate variability and rising demand for water.
Principal Secretary of the Water Resources Department Shubha Sarma, along with Engineer-in-Chiefs Dillip Kumar Rout, Bighnaraj Purohit, Susil Kumar Behera and Purna Chandra Rath, Additional Secretary Subrat Kumar Nayak and other senior officials attended the workshop.
JICA India Chief Representative Takeuchi Takuro and Nippon Koei India Managing Director G Sampath Kumar were also present, along with technical experts from JICA, Nippon Koei and various states.
During the inaugural session, Sarma underlined the need to ensure that irrigation benefits go beyond assured water supply and contribute to 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, while representatives of JICA India and Nippon Koei shared their experiences and perspectives on irrigation and water management.
The technical sessions focused on climate-resilient irrigation, minor irrigation tank systems and farmer-centric water management. A presentation on OIIPCRA highlighted tank rehabilitation, the role of Pani Panchayats, climate-resilient agriculture and convergence of irrigation with fisheries and livelihood activities.
Experts also discussed JICA’s experience in India’s agriculture and irrigation sectors, including its support to the sector, besides sharing lessons from the JICA-assisted Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Promotion Project.
Best practices in drip irrigation and crop diversification from Jharkhand and experiences from the Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project were also presented.
International experiences in digital transformation of water management in Japan and Indonesia were discussed, highlighting the potential of technology in monitoring, planning and decision-making. Experts also deliberated on data-driven flood and watershed management, drawing lessons from Tokyo, and explored possibilities for integrating technology into smart irrigation and demand-driven water management in Odisha.
The workshop emphasised the growing importance of real-time information, digital platforms, technology-enabled monitoring and data-based decision-making to improve irrigation efficiency.
Participants also stressed that technological interventions need to be aligned with field-level institutions and the requirements of farmers to ensure effective implementation.
Senior officials and employees of the Water Resources Department, engineers associated with irrigation projects and river basins, and representatives and experts from JICA and Nippon Koei India participated in the workshop, facilitating an exchange of field experience, technical knowledge and best practices.
