Odisha's Innovative Use of Drones to Enhance Irrigation Project Monitoring

The Odisha Water Resources department is adopting drone technology to enhance the monitoring of irrigation projects. This initiative aims to improve transparency and accountability by allowing officials to conduct regular drone surveys, ensuring that construction quality and progress are closely tracked. Following recommendations from the Central Water Commission, the use of drones will help identify discrepancies in project reports and actual site conditions. This innovative approach is expected to significantly enhance the efficiency and quality of irrigation project implementation across the state.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 14, 2026, 09:26 IST

Drones to Revolutionize Irrigation Oversight in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Water Resources department is set to implement drone technology for monitoring irrigation initiatives, aiming to enhance transparency and accountability in their execution while closely tracking construction quality and progress.

Officials have been instructed to perform regular drone surveys on projects under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), which is part of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). In a communication to the Engineer-in-Chief, Under Secretary Aarti Mallik noted that these surveys would facilitate the evaluation of actual site conditions, track construction advancements, and assess work quality.

This decision follows recommendations from the Central Water Commission (CWC), with drone surveys covering significant aspects of AIBP projects. The central government has stressed the importance of consistent drone monitoring to document projects through images and videos linked with geographical coordinates. The data gathered will help pinpoint discrepancies between the reported progress and the actual state of projects.

Such monitoring will allow the department to identify areas where work is lagging, understand the reasons for delays, and address any quality issues. Officials are required to submit reports from drone surveys, including geo-tagged images, video documentation, and information on corrective actions taken. Mallik emphasized that these reports would be sent to the CWC. This new system aims to ensure that the oversight of irrigation projects extends beyond mere paperwork and progress reports, reflecting the real conditions at project sites. The initiative is anticipated to enhance both the quality of projects and the efficiency of their implementation.