ROURKELA: Thouh construction of a second bridge of National Highway-143 over Brahmani river has facilitated better accessibility to Rourkela, for the better implementation of the greater Rourkela concept, seemingly the city needs more entry points. But the barriers are the two rivers Brahmani and Koel.
Since land is a constraint, the adjoining rural pockets on the other sides of the two rivers are expected to fulfil the growing land demand in the future. Owing to the growing demand for more bridges, a delegation of the Rourkela Chamber of Commerce & Industry (RCCI) had in 2019 submitted a memorandum to the state government requesting support in expanding its boundaries beyond the two rivers.
The RCCI delegation had during that time met the then chief secretary suggesting establishment of two bridges, one between Deogaon and Birkera over Brahmani river and another between Panposh and Kuanrmunda over Koel river.
Sources meanwhile said one bridge connecting Rourkela’s Chhend Colony to Jamunanaki in Kuanrmunda block is under construction while more such projects are in the pipeline. Contacted, Rourkela MLA and Sundargarh District Planning Board Chairman Sarada Prasad Nayak said the city is all set to witness more development with expansion of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) and Software Technology Park of India among few other proposals.
“Focus is now on improving communication in the city. Apart from the under-construction bridge project of district mineral foundation (DMF), one low-height-bridge-cum-barrage project on Koel river between Rourkela’s Hamripur and Kuanrmunda block and another under-construction bridge between Mitkundri in Nuagaon block and Lahanda in Kuanrmunda block are in the pipe-line,” he said.
The final draft comprehensive development plant (CDP) and a mother document for planned growth and land use has 54 urban and sub-urban units within the RMC limits while 51 more village units were later added for formation of greater Rourkela, Nayak added.