Odisha Launches Rs 500-Crore Waterfront Development Scheme for Riverfronts and Urban Water Bodies

The Odisha government has launched a new Waterfront Development Scheme with an outlay of Rs 500 crore spread over five years. The scheme aims to restore and beautify riverfronts and urban water bodies in and around several cities, including Cuttack, Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.

According to the state housing and urban development department, the scheme will cover the Mahanadi riverfront at Cuttack and Sambalpur, the Daya-Gangua corridor and Kuakhai floodplain in Bhubaneswar, the Budhabalanga riverfront at Baripada, the Baitarani riverfront at Chandbali, and the Brahmani river stretch at Rourkela. Other urban water bodies already taken up under programmes such as AMRUT may be added later.

The stated goal is to turn neglected waterfronts into environmentally sustainable and economically active public spaces. Planned interventions include biodiversity parks, flood-buffer zones, green infrastructure, cultural plazas, eco-education centres and livelihood zones. Each city has a specific theme — for example, Bhubaneswar's stretch will be developed as a 'green-blue urban spine', while Baripada will focus on eco-tourism and tribal culture.

A state-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary will monitor implementation. While the state will primarily fund the scheme, additional money may come through public-private partnerships and corporate social responsibility contributions. Environmental safeguards such as wastewater treatment and renewable energy integration are built into the plan.

For exam aspirants, the scheme is a useful example of urban water-body rejuvenation and the 'green-blue infrastructure' concept, and connects to broader themes like AMRUT, river ecosystem restoration and sustainable urban development.