The State Government is formulating an ambitious irrigation plan of Rs25,000 crore to create irrigation facility for more 10 lakh hectares of land in next three years.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already asked Water Resources Department officials to chalk out the plan and implement the same at the earliest.

Water Resources Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena on Tuesday held discussion with the Engineer-In-Chief and Chief Engineers in this regard.

According to information, 10 major irrigation projects, which are scheduled to be completed by 2019 at a total expenditure of Rs9,000 crore, have been allocated Rs1,000 crore for the current fiscal.

These major projects were facing funds crunch as the Centre has already stopped providing funds under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) for the last three years and thereby the State has lost Rs5,200 crore.

Jena said that the State Government has taken up 174 lift irrigation projects in 15 clusters in western, southern and some coastal areas. These projects, estimated to come up at Rs5,500 crore, would irrigate 2.5 lakh hectares in next three years.

The State Government is targeting to cover all the 110 blocks having less than 35 per cent irrigation coverage during the period. Meanwhile, difficult areas have been identified.

It has been targeted to construct 12,000 check dams at a total cost of Rs3,000 crore. While 2,000 would be constructed this year, 4,000 have been targeted for the next year.

Similarly, existing canals would be developed at Rs2,000 crore so that water would reach their respective tail ends without disruption.

Besides, digging up of bores wells would be emphasised. As of now 37,000 out of 57,000 bore wells have been energised.

Farmers would be provided loans from the Odisha State Cooperative Bank (OSCB) for establishing bore wells, said sources.