Why is in news? Odisha to rehabilitate those displaced by Hirakud dam
The Odisha government announced a plan for giving land rights to 1,749 families in Jharsuguda district, who had lost their land amid the construction of the Hirakud dam across the Mahanadi in the 1950s.
Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) from Sambalpur in the state of Odisha in India.
With successful irrigation provided by the dam, Sambalpur is called the rice bowl of Odisha.
It is the longest earthen dam in the world.
Behind the dam extends a lake, Hirakud Reservoir, 55 km (34 mi) long.
It is one of the first major multipurpose river valley projects started after India's independence.
Hirakud Reservoir was declared a Ramsar site on 12 October 2021.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
