In a first for Odisha, two coastal villages in Ganjam district will soon receive desalinated seawater for daily use, including drinking, officials confirmed on Sunday.

The initiative will be facilitated by the Odisha Sands Complex (OSCOM), a unit of Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL), which operates a seawater desalination plant in Matikhal near Chhatrapur. The plant will supply treated seawater to the villages, addressing the challenge of freshwater scarcity in the coastal region.

To implement the project, the Ganjam district administration signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IREL on Friday. The collaboration aims to provide a sustainable and reliable water source for residents, improving their quality of life.

Officials highlighted that this marks a significant step in leveraging technology to address water shortages in coastal areas, setting a precedent for future projects in Odisha and beyond.

The initiative is expected to be operational soon, bringing much-needed relief to the villagers who have long faced challenges in accessing clean drinking water.