The Odisha Cabinet has approved a Rs 382.4 crore mega drinking water project for Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC).

The work will be executed by Maharashtra-based Eagle Infra India, and is scheduled to begin on 01 September, 2025, and complete by 31 August, 2027, the project aims to provide 24x7 safe drinking water to households across Sambalpur, Burla, and Hirakud towns under SMC. The initiative has been designed considering population growth, with Sambalpur’s population projected to rise from 4.75 lakh at present to seven lakh by 2043.

To be implemented on an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) basis, it also includes five years of operation and maintenance. Major components include construction of a 110 million litres per day (MLD) capacity intake well in the Sambalpur distributary of Hirakud dam, a 65 MLD water treatment plant at Tipupada for Sambalpur and Hirakud, and a 35 MLD treatment plant at Burla.

Additionally, wastewater recycling and sludge treatment units will be established to ensure sustainable and efficient water management across the region.