BHUBANESWAR: The State Government had to lose Central assistance of ` 190.72 crore during 2005 to 2011 because of low spending of available scheme funds by the implementing agencies. According to the latest CAG report, scrutiny of records of seven district rural development agencies (DRDAs), Balasore, Cuttack, Ganjam, Gajapati, Nuapada, Sundargarh and Puri and information collected from panchayatiraj department revealed that the Centre curtailed assistance of ` 168 crore under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) scheme.

NUAPADA: Here, water problem is of a different kind. Even as there are water sources in 2,355 hamlets under 641 revenue villages, they are high on fluoride. Although the water is resulting in physical deformities and deaths in some cases, it is Hobson’s choice for people. The permissible content of fluoride is 0.5 to 1.0 mg per litre of water. As per official records, in Boden and Komna blocks of the district, tests revealed that groundwater in Boden has fluoride of 1.5 mg/litre. In Dhamabhata village even tube-well water is affected with a fluoride content of 5.4 mg/litre.

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Tuesday formally implemented one of the major recommendations of Justice Wadhwa Committee, the abolition of Storage Agent chain in order to streamline the Public Distribution System and avoid irregularities and corruption.
The food supplies and consumer welfare department abolished the age-old Storage Agent system in four backward districts- Sonepur, Deogarah, Nuapada and Boudh.

BHUBANESWAR: Over a million people in at least 19 districts of Orissa have been hit by flood in the Mahanadi river systems which, with increased volume of water reaching the deltaic head of the State by Saturday night, was set to grip more and more areas in the downstream coastal pockets over the next few days.

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Monday geared up its machinery to tackle drought-like situation in more than 30 blocks in eight districts. Scanty rainfall has affected kharif crop in some pockets of 15 districts in the State while the situation is alarming in the 30 blocks, according to preliminary reports submitted by the district collectors to the Government.

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has set 2013 deadline for completing the drinking water projects in the four fluoride-hit districts. In several pockets of Angul, Nuapada, Balasore and Nayagarh districts, fluorosis has taken a toll on the local population necessitating the pipe-water projects by the Government.

A severe drought looms large over many parts of Orissa due to inadequate rainfall this season. Most of the districts have received half the normal rainfall. According to revenue department sources, Nuapada district in western Orissa has received 56 per cent rainfall while Boudh and Malkangiri recorded 63 and 61 per cent,

BHUBANESWAR: The Government has set an ambitious target to improve the condition of 10 lakh hectares of agricultural land through watershed management programmes for sustainable livelihood in rainfed areas. The target will be achieved in next five years.

The Government claimed to have taken drought-proofing measures over an area of 9.17 lakh hectares.