Rourkela: Work on the final pier of the much-awaited second Jhirpani bridge will begin once the water level recedes in the Koel and Deo rivers, departmental sources said Friday. Work on this vital bridge connecting Jhirpani to Mitkunuduri and thereby facilitating easy communication for people of more than 20 panchayats and also the residents of Biramitrapur began in 2018. However, since then the project has faced much opposition over land acquisition and timely completion, while politicians of all hues have added colour to it, delaying the completion of the bridge. The main reason for the delay was hurdles in land acquisition.
Supposed to be constructed for Rs 7 crore at the time of its proposal, the cost has now escalated to Rs 15 crore, according to departmental sources. One Mangu Oram, who had to give away 52 decimals of land on the other side of the river for the project, stopped the work a year back as he did not receive his compensation worth Rs 1.46 crore. Ever since the bridge was proposed and construction started, land prices shot up. However, Mangu received the cheque September 6 and it was handed over to him in the office of Panposh Sub-Collector by the Rural Development department. Five pillars on the river bed were finished and four piers had been laid on them. The laying of the fifth pier, however, had to wait. Decks cleared, the Rural Development department is getting ready to complete the bridge construction at the earliest. “As soon the water level particularly in the Deo River recedes we will begin the work on fifth pier. Our main objective will be to finish it as soon as possible,” executive engineer KC Khatua said.
RAJESH MOHANTY, OP