Paperman Media | Bhubaneswar
A significant step has been taken towards making water resources management in Odisha more scientific, technology-driven and efficient, while developing the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) as a modern Centre of Excellence. With this objective, WALMI has signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the National Water Academy (NWA), Pune; ICAR–Indian Institute of Water Management (ICAR-IIWM), Bhubaneswar; and Odisha Construction Corporation Limited (OCCL). The programme was held at the Conference Hall of the Department and was chaired by Principal Secretary, Department of Water Resources, Smt. Shubha Sharma.
MoU with NWA
Chief Engineer Shri Vaseem Ashraf signed the MoU on behalf of the National Water Academy. The collaboration with the National Water Academy (NWA), Pune, under the Central Water Commission, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, will focus on joint and customised training, knowledge sharing and exposure to contemporary practices in water resources management. Through this collaboration, WALMI will benefit from NWA’s national-level expertise, specialised training resources and experience of best practices.
MoU with ICAR-IIWM
Director Dr. A. Sarangi signed the MoU on behalf of the ICAR–Indian Institute of Water Management. The collaboration will further strengthen the linkage between research, technology and field-level application. WALMI will benefit from the expertise and innovations of ICAR-IIWM in agricultural water management, water-use efficiency and climate-resilient irrigation. Special emphasis will be given to IoT- and sensor-based water management, precision irrigation and digital technologies.
MoU with OCCL
The collaboration with Odisha Construction Corporation Limited (OCCL) will support the upgradation and strengthening of WALMI’s physical infrastructure as a Centre of Excellence. The works will include modernisation of training and academic facilities, hostels, auditorium, conference hall and library, audio-visual enabled classrooms, campus-wide Wi-Fi connectivity and construction of a new 100-seater hostel.
Senior officials of the Department of Water Resources present on the occasion included Er. Dillip Kumar Rout, Engineer-in-Chief, Water Resources; Er. Bighnaraj Purohit, Engineer-in-Chief, S&M; Er. Niranjan Rout, Engineer-in-Chief, Procurement; Er. Purnachandra Rath, Engineer-in-Chief, IV; Er. Abinash Roul, Engineer-in-Chief, Inter States; Er. Bajinath Hembram, Director, WALMI; and Shri Subrat Nayak, Additional Secretary.
Representing the collaborating institutions were Shri Vaseem Ashraf, Chief Engineer & Head, NWA, Pune; Shri Chaitanya K. S., Director, NWA; Dr. Arjamadutta Sarangi, Director, ICAR-IIWM; Dr. Kalikinkar Bandyopadhyay, Principal Scientist, ICAR-IIWM; and Er. Sarat Chandra Ghadei, General Manager, OCCL.
