A review meeting for the proposed ring road for Baleswar town was conducted by local MP Rabindra Jena on Saturday ahead of the project’s foundation stone-laying by the Chief Minister on a later date. Officials of the Revenue, Water Resources and Works Departments attended the meeting.
The Sadar Tehsildar, who has completed the survey work for the project, was urged to incorporate some modifications in it to minimise acquisition of private properties and lessen the road length and cost.
“Although a preliminary survey work has been completed yet for some alterations of the survey are to be done,” said Tehsildar Rashmi Rekha Pradhan. Around 5,000 acres of private land, mainly from villages of Kasmila, Badanuapur and Purunabaleswar falls on the proposed route, she said.
The initiation for the survey for the proposed ring road was taken about one and a half years ago. The road would be of 27.5 km on the town’s outskirts between Nuniajodi and Chandipur along the Budhabalanga riverbank. It would touch the National Highway at one end and the Defence Road at Chandipur at the other end.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) would construct a 13-km stretch of the road while the Water Resources and Works Departments would construct 12.3 km and 2.7 km, respectively.
The road would mitigate much of the town’s present traffic congestion due to unplanned urbanisation on the cityscape. Besides, it would facilitate the Defence establishments a hassle-free vehicular movement.
The town’s road infrastructure has almost remained the same for the past 50 years though a rapid growth of the town has been witnessed in recent years with addition of new institutions and establishments and enhancement of trading and commercial activities. The situation may become acute once more people from other places start commuting through the town when a Government Medical College and Hospital would function in addition to other activities.
“The road, as per the plan, would be a four-lane one and about 100-feet wide. The work will be undertaken after preparation of a detailed project report,” said an engineer of the Water Resources Department.
“The road will act as an embankment for river Budhabalanga, and besides protecting human settlements from floods, it will also lessen the traffic overload. The tehsildar has been urged to make a fresh survey so that acquisition of private land is kept minimal,” said MP Jena.