Odisha CM Inaugurates 50 Development Projects Worth Rs 960 Crore in Sambalpur

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 50 development projects worth around Rs 960 crore in Sambalpur.

At a programme held at Gangadhar Meher University, the Chief Minister also inaugurated a state-of-the-art ‘Make in India’ Doppler Weather Radar (DWR), aimed at strengthening weather forecasting and disaster management across western Odisha.

Of the total projects, 15 completed projects worth Rs 133.47 crore were dedicated to the public, while foundation stones were laid for 35 new projects worth Rs 825.83 crore. The projects cover health, rural development, sports, roads and buildings, and water resources.

Doppler Radar to Cover 13 Odisha Districts

The Sambalpur Doppler radar is the third such radar in Odisha after Paradip and Gopalpur. It will provide weather-related information for 13 districts, including Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Subarnapur, Balangir, Boudh, Nuapada, Angul, Kalahandi, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal.

The radar will operate round the clock and provide accurate data within a 250-km range while tracking weather movements up to 450 km. It will also benefit parts of neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

According to the Chief Minister, the radar will provide early warnings about thunderstorms, lightning and hailstorms and benefit farmers, particularly in the Mahanadi basin. It will also help strengthen inflow management at the Hirakud reservoir by estimating rainfall every 10 minutes at 150-metre resolution.

More Doppler Radars Planned

Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh said the Sambalpur radar marks a major milestone in India’s weather forecasting system. He announced that 40 more Doppler radars would be added across the country.

The Odisha government also plans to establish Doppler radars in Balasore, Bhubaneswar and Puri.

Sambalpur Sees Major Development Push

CM Majhi said around Rs 1,910 crore worth of development works have been undertaken in Sambalpur between January and September 2026.

He also highlighted major projects, including the Rs 1,521-crore four-lane bypass, Rs 1,700-crore VIMSAR expansion, Rs 100-crore Aqua Park and Rs 100-crore Samaleswari Phase-II project.

The Chief Minister said the government is working towards transforming Odisha into a $500-billion economy by 2036 and a $1.5-trillion economy by 2047.