2 yrs on, R'kela barrage, ring road works yet to take off

The foundation stone laying on July 9, 2013 for a barrage-cum-bridge near an intake pump house and a ring road on river Koel from Jhirpani to Panposh was boasted of to be one of the biggest achievements by Raghunathpalli MlA and former Minister Subrat Tarai.While the estimated cost for the low-height-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 Rourkela Steel Plant will help 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, the then Rourkela MlA Sarada Nayak, the then Rajya Sabha MP Mangala Kissan (presently Rajgangpur MlA), 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, two 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.

A year 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 after another one year (total two years) no development has taken place with regard to the projects. Rather, it is learnt that the Irrigation Department has dropped the proposal of low-height barrage on the pretext that it may cause harm to the Koel Setu (a bridge is under construction over last seven years near Jhirpani which is a little away from the barrage location). But the question is two years back the bridge work was also going on and why the department had approved the project then and was dropping it nowIJ

It is alleged that without any proposal and fund allocation the foundation stone was laid keeping in view the 2014 election. Though the Irrigation Department sources were reluctant to reveal any information regarding the delay in construction of ring road, they only say very soon the tender will be floated. Raghunathpali MlA Tarai said because it is already two years delayed and in between the price index of commodities and labour components have escalated the project costs are to be re-estimated before their constructions begin. Very soon the tender will be floated and construction work will be commenced, Tarai assured.

Congress leader and former MlA Pravat Mohaptra alleged that it was sheer hypocrisy of the Naveen Patnaik Government.