The foundation stone laying for a barrage-cum-bridge near a pump house and a ring road on river Koel from Jhirpani to Panposh last year was boasted of to be one of the biggest achievements by Raghunathpalli MlA and former Minister Subrat Tarai.
While the estimated cost for low-height-barrage and bridge project which aims at augmenting drinking water facility and irrigation coverage in the area was `256 crore, the ring road’s estimated cost was `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 the farmers provide water of nearby villages of Kuarmunda, Bisra and Nuagaon blocks who 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.
Tarai, Rourkela MlASarada Nayak and many other BJD leaders did not forget to lavish praises on their party boss and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the benevolence. However, 11 months after the foundation stone laying, the project remains limited to pen and paper. Similarly, the road proposal mooted at around `30 crore has not moved beyond files in absence of fund allocation.
Executive Engineer of Major and Medium Irrigation Projects Saroj Patnaik said tenders are likely to be issued in July. 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 added. The project will also help sustain local environment and link the two blocks.
But sources said another barrage-cum-bridge project has been mooted near Panposh at similar cost on river Koel, but it has been kept on the back burner. Similarly, the bridge project at Jhirpani is not expected to be completed in time, while the rest two proposals are unlikely to receive administrative approval in near future.
Meanwhile, noted social activist of Bisra, Kuarmunda and Nuagaon blocks AK Azad said the barrage-cum-bridge project should be completed early to help the farmers of nearby villages of Bisra and Nuagaon blocks get adequate water for irrigation. Secondly, the construction of ring road will ease the traffic in Steel City and the farmers will get easy access to market their products directly to the consumers, he added.