Rourkela: The proposed sewage treatment plant (STP) at Koel Nagar has been scrapped. “If it has to be done, then everything has to begin from scratch,” said a senior official of the civic body governing the Steel City. The proposed plant was part of the Smart City project. Koel Nagar, one of the best-planned residential projects, was developed by Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) for its retiring employees and was among the first residential facilities in the state to have its own underground sewage system. According to the original plan, over 2,500 houses were constructed. However, the number went up considerably when the owners added further floors.
So, the sewage system, initially designed to accommodate a population of over 15,000, now has a burgeoning population of over 25,000. And this put pressure on the initial underground system and eventually jamming of sewers and overflowing became rampant. When the Smart City status was awarded to Rourkela, Koel Nagar was included in the project as a satellite area. And this STP was part of this project. Four STPs were part of the Smart City project. The main STP was constructed at Balughat area on the bank of Brahmani. The Bondhamunda STP was shelved first. The Koel Nagar project was taken up simultaneously. The site for the plant was identified near the ‘C’ block, and this huge patch of land was part of the areas that were surrendered by RSP to the government. With the passage of time, a large inhabitation, illegal, has come up on the said land.
So, when the administration started earmarking the exact area in 2016, it faced stiff resistance from the encroachers. However, the STP project was not shelved then and was kept in abeyance for some time. Negotiations and other backdoor methods were used. Even influential tribal leaders were asked to intervene. But, the disputes did not resolve on this land. When questioned in this regard, RMC deputy commissioner Sudhansu Bhoi said, “The project has been shelved. If anything has to be done, then it has to start from scratch.” The shelving was further confirmed by superintendent engineer of Rourkela Sewerage Board S Dakua. “Only the Balughat STP is operational and the rest, at Koel Nagar and Bondhamunda have been shelved.”
Reacting to this, BJP state spokesperson Dhiren Senapaty said, “This shows the callous attitude of the administration and also the politicians. When Jagda, from where the BJD led during the last election, could have its own water supply system despite stiff opposition from the local tribals, then why the same thing could not be repeated here? The reason is the party trailed us in the last election.” The existing system is crumbling at this moment. “The municipality is only recasting the damaged manholes but the underground pipes are unable to discharge the amount of waste flowing through them. Besides, the pipes are getting jammed in many places for many reasons. “The situation is alarming and no one is really bothered about it,” said an employee of RMC who did not want to be named.