Due to lack of fund allocations, two major projects here have not been able to take off.
The foundation stones for a barrage-cum-bridge near an intake pump house and a ring road on the river Koel from Jhirpani to Panposh were laid in 2013 and the projects were boasted of to be one of the biggest achievements by Rourkela BJD and especially Raghunathpalli MLA and former Minister Subrat Tarai.
While the estimated cost for the barrage and bridge project which aims at augmenting drinking water facility and irrigation coverage in the area was Rs 256 crore, the ring road’s estimated cost was Rs 30 crore.
It was assumed that with the construction of the low-height barrage and bridge, it would simultaneously connect Nuagaon and Kuarmunda blocks on the other side of the river with the steel city and will help farmers of nearby villages of Kuarmunda, Bisra and Nuagaon blocks get water for irrigation. These farmers are unable to produce crops according to their potential due to lack of irrigation facility. It was also told that to expedite the work progress, the tender process would take off soon and the construction work would be completed in 30 months.
Besides, the project near water intake well of the Rourkela Steel Plant will help the river Deo, a small tributary of Koel, to retain water throughout the year. This in turn will help residents of Koelnagar, Jhirpani, Jagda, Shaktinagar, National Institute of Technology (NIT) and those staying in the captive township of the steel plant get water.
Besides, a 7.5-metre wide road on the bridge will also facilitate better traffic movement. For the villagers of the command area, the barrage will help in multi-cropping. Besides, vegetable cultivators can market their products in Rourkela round the year.
Tarai, Rourkela MLA Sarada Nayak, the then Rajya Sabha MP Mangala, Rajy Sabha MP Dilip Tirkey and many other BJD leaders showered lavish praises on their party boss and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the benevolence. However, seven years after the stone laying, the project remains limited to pen and paper only. Similarly, the road proposal mooted at around Rs30 crore has not moved beyond files in absence of fund allocation.
Years back, the then Executive Engineer of Major and Medium Irrigation Projects Saroj Patnaik had said tenders are likely to be issued in July (2014). He said the barrage project will ensure availability of drinking water for nearby urban and rural pockets without submerging any area. Moreover, the project will be able to feed around 3,500 hectares of land in nearby villages of Nuagaon and Bisra blocks through lift-irrigation system, Patnaik had added. The project will also help sustain local environment and link the two blocks. But so far, no development has taken place with regard to the projects.
It may be noted here that in 2016 summer due to fall of water level in Koel river the residents of Steel Township, Koelnagar, Shaktinagar and NIT campus suffered a lot. Hardly were they provided drinking water through pipe line for 20-30 minutes in a gap of 36 or 48 hours. Even the people of Bisra, Nuagaon and Kuarmunda Block suffered a lot. That time the importance of the project was felt by the residents.
According to upper Mahanadi Basin Chief Engineer and Basin Manager, Burla, Sunil Nayak all works were completed from technical point of view, but the fund allocation was awaited.
Congress leader and former Biramitrapur MLA George Tirkey and BJP leader Nihar Ray alleged that it was sheer hypocrisy of the Naveen Patnaik Government. Without any proposal and fund allocation the foundation stone was laid keeping in view the 2014 election. That is why the Irrigation Department sources were reluctant to reveal any information regarding the delay in construction of ring road, they slammed.
