Rourkela: Already delayed, the expansion of National Highway 320D here is likely to drag further as the project has been facing several obstacles related to planning and land acquisition with no immediate solution visible at present. The ambitious project, expected to be a game changer for Sundargarh district’s overall infrastructure by opening the door for an industrial corridor between Odisha and Jharkhand, has run into rough weather. The project, which will connect Chakradharpur, Sonua, Goelkera, Manoharpur, Jaraikela and Rourkela passing across the Odisha -Jharkhand border, has been taken up by the National Highways Division (NHD), Rourkela in state. However, alleged ‘irresponsible planning’ and hurdles in subsequent land acquisition process, once the NH enters Odisha near Jareikela, have pushed the project into rough weather.
Notably, Rs 172 crore had been allocated for construction of a 25.450-km stretch between Jareikela-Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) stock yard in the first phase. Accordingly, the tender for construction of the highway has been awarded to a company from Chhattisgarh at the beginning of 2024. As per the plan mentioned in the tender, the highway will pass through the busy Bisra town. Sources said NHD officials were not allowed to carry out any kind of survey or other project-related activities there. “How can we allow a highway to pass through the town,” questioned one MD Kareem of Bisra who termed the planning of the NH as ‘dangerous’. Such opposition to the project by the residents led to the exclusion of the stretch passing through Bisra town from the 25.450-km stretch under the first phase, informed an official. A similar situation arose at Bondamunda also. Apart from these obstacles, there are many more roadblocks for the project as lands belonging to the Railways and the RSP need to be acquired. When asked, Assistant Executive Engineer of NHD PK Mohapatra said, “The 34.10 km road will touch NH-143 at Hockey Chowk. There are issues with the Railways and the RSP which we are trying to sort out.” However, a departmental official said, “RSP land will be an issue because the NH will pass through Rourkela city as per the original plan.”
Notably, RSP has strongly objected to the plan as a portion of the Ring Road from Bisra till Hanuman Vatika Chowk will be part of NH-320D. “Have you ever seen an NH passing through a city, that too almost in the middle of it? It is a completely irresponsible plan. Opposition to the plan has been raised at the top level,” said a senior officer of RSP in the know of things. The mentioned portion is a busy stretch and during change of duty hours it becomes heavily congested. RSP had written to the NHD in 2022 in this regard raising its objection. From Hanuman Vatika Chowk, the highway was proposed to pass through the RMC road, which the civic body has also objected to. In fact, RSP has asked to divert the road from the SAIL stockyard and connect to the NH-143 somewhere near Jalda. Tenders for the project have been floated twice so far by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. However, there seems to be no solution for the issues.
RAJESH MOHANTY, OP