The State Government has urged the National Highways Authority of India(NHAI) to take up immediate renovation of several national highways in order to improve accessibility to the mining zones.
Principal Secretary Industries Hemant Sharma has written to Chairman NHAI Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, while requesting immediate intervention as serious problems are faced by the steel makers in the State.
While Odisha enjoys a leadership role in mineral and metal production in the country, the State Government through its progressive industrial policy and other initiatives has given impetus for the growth of the mineral sector and metal industries. This is being done keeping in view the employment generation and economic development associated with the sector.
However, steel makers are facing a problem with regard to accessibility to mining zones as road condition is very poor. Several National Highways crossing the mining zones need immediate repair and renovation, pointed out the Principal Secretary Industries.Recently, the Indian Steel Association(ISA) has flagged concern over the poor accessibility to the mining zones, which is hampering movement of machines and metals in these areas. At least seven National Highways like NH -20, 53, 55, 59, 143, 215, 520 need immediate attention of the NHAI as these form a lifeline of the steel industry.
NH-20 from Remuli to Panikoili, NH-53 from Chandikhole to Talcher, NH-55 from Cuttack to Sambalpur, NH-59 from Keonjhar to Teleibani, NH-520 from Parsora to Rajamunda are covering the mining zones and connecting to the industrial areas.
As the NHs are poor in condition, movement of machineries and metals to the steel industries is posing a serious problem, pointed out the ISA.The National Highways are connecting major industrial zones and steel sector towns like Kalinga Nagar, Rourkela, Angul and others.
The SAIL is using NH-520 for iron ore transportation from Kalta mines and facing a lot of difficulties as the NH is in poor condition from Parsora to Rajamunda via Kalta. The NH is running thorough mining belt and India’s major steel maker is facing the problem, officials pointed out. While the Ministry of Steel has planned an integrated steel hub in Kalinga Nagar and accelerated development of the eastern region as Prime Minister has stressed on Purvodaya, it is expected that out of 300 Million Tonne(MT) of steel capacity by 2030-31, over 200 MT can come from the region alone.
However, unless the accessibility of the mining zones is improved, excellent opportunity to spearhead the expected growth in the domestic steel sector will face a bottleneck, admit officials. Earlier Additional Secretary Ministry of Steel had also written to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to lay down critical logistics and infrastructure projects identified for the steel zones.