To insulate rural communities against seasonal water scarcity and erratic monsoons, the Government of Odisha has granted administrative approval to five major Instream Storage Structure (ISS) projects worth Rs 625.47 crore—all cleared within the span of a single month. Spanning five districts—Rayagada, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Balangir, and Sonepur—the infrastructure drive is projected to directly benefit nearly.