Chief Minister approves Mahanadi Riverside Development Scheme

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi approved the much-anticipated Mahanadi Riverfront Development project today. Spanning three years from 2025-26 to 2027-28, the initiative will cost Rs 240 crore, fully funded from the state government’s own resources through the Department of Water Resources.

The project aims to revitalize the Mahanadi – often called the lifeline of Odisha – by converting key stretches along its banks into premier centers for environmental, cultural, and spiritual tourism. Speaking after granting approval, Chief Minister Majhi emphasised, “The Mahanadi is Odisha’s lifeline. This development will turn its significant sites into major attractions, contributing substantially to the state’s economic growth through tourism.”

Key objectives include providing social and cultural amenities along riverbanks for urban dwellers, fostering community participation in water sports, amusement parks, science parks, and herbal gardens via foundational infrastructure. It also focuses on controlling riverbank erosion and river morphology, diverting sewage to keep river water clean, conserving water for supply to nearby areas during scarcity, and rejuvenating peripheral regions alongside Sambalpur’s sustainable development.

The project targets two specific locations. The first phase, allocated Rs 160 crore, covers the Mahanadi riverbank from Mandalia to Chaunpur in Sambalpur district. Developments here will feature parking spaces, jogging parks, selfie points, recreational parks, open gyms, improved ghats, bathing ghats, Aarti ghats, theme plazas, shopping complexes, and public toilets – all designed to enhance accessibility and leisure.

The second phase, with Rs 80 crore, targets the Kuakhai and Kushabhadrā rivers near Bhubaneswar-Pandara. This will include safety measures alongside riverbank ghat development, ring roads with viewpoint enhancements, passenger jetties, lock gates, bridges, parking, cafeterias, toilets, and internal pedestrian paths integrated with river navigation.

Officials highlight that the project will not only preserve the river’s ecological balance but also promote local employment and cultural preservation, positioning Odisha as a top eco-tourism destination.