State directs ULBs to create 10k groundwater recharge structures by March

Bhubaneswar: The housing and urban development department directed all urban local bodies (ULBs) across the state to step up implementation of Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) 2.0 programme by creating at least 10,000 artificial groundwater recharge structures each before end-March.

Sharing an instruction from the engineer-in-chief, water resources, the department asked all municipal commissioners to ensure rapid progress and timely data entry on the Jal Shakti ministry’s dedicated portal. The instruction came as the initiative, launched in Sept 2024, entered the final phase of its implementation cycle ending in March 2026.


Odisha was given a target of 2.6 lakh recharge structures of which 64,380 structures were uploaded by 30 districts so far, officially. The letter emphasised the urgency to accelerate implementation to bridge the gap in the remaining weeks.

“As this is being monitored at the highest level, you are once again requested to convene a meeting involving district-level officers of all stakeholder departments and block development officers to sensitise and upload the data in the JSJB 2.0 sub-portal at the earliest,” wrote Lingaraj Gouda, the engineer-in-chief.

The directive also highlighted the expected role of municipal bodies in meeting the state’s overall target. “Every municipal body is requested to establish a minimum of 10,000 recharge structures within its jurisdiction,” the letter to the ULBs stated.

The water resources department deployed nodal officers to coordinate with district administrations and assist ULBs in resolving technical issues related to site selection and data uploads. “The nodal officers of respective districts may be contacted for any technical guidance in this regard,” the letter read.

A review meeting on JSJB 2.0 was scheduled to be held later in Feb under the chairmanship of the engineer-in-chief to assess the progress of all ULBs and districts. With the March deadline approaching, the department underscored the need for coordinated action and timely reporting to ensure the state met its ambitious groundwater recharge target.