Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi recently announced that the project would proceed, although he did not provide a specific timeline.
During the current Assembly session, Sundargarh MLA Jogesh Singh of the BJD raised the issue, asking about the project's status and start date. The project includes building an embankment along the Ib river and a parallel ring road. The CM explained that the construction would span from Bhojpur to Bandhpali bridge, covering municipality wards 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8. Approved by the 129th Technical Advisory Committee for the Flood Control Board on December 27, 2019, the project has an estimated cost of ₹84.39 crore.
The Chief Minister mentioned that implementation steps would begin once funding is secured. Initially approved during former BJP MLA Kusum Tete's tenure, the project was shelved.
Singh stressed the project's importance for protecting Sundargarh town from monsoon flooding and reducing traffic congestion. He pointed out the impact of upstream barrages built by the Chhattisgarh government, which cause the Ib river to dry up in summer and flood during the monsoon.
Additionally, increased traffic through Sundargarh town is due to growing coal mining activities in the Hemgir block.
Although the Water Resources department had prepared a detailed project report for the embankment and ring road, implementation faced delays.
Singh emphasized the urgency of constructing the embankment, especially with two new barrages planned downstream at Kopsingha and Kurabaga for water storage. Without the embankment, backwater from these barrages could flood low-lying areas of the town.
Once the ring road is completed, traffic heading towards Rourkela will bypass the town center, directly connecting to State Highway 10.
ALSO READ:-
0 Comments