ROURKELA: Lack of adequate knowledge about the ground realities has become a roadblock for implementation of corrective measures to ease traffic snarls in Rourkela City.While rising traffic congestions on roads due to lack of parking areas have become a regular affair in the Steel City, Rourkela Smart City Limited (RSCL) has planned a host of corrective steps to address the menace. However, successful implementation of the proposed measures seems increasingly difficult with the planners having little understanding of the ground realities.
The area under Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) is of linear shape with the main road running nearly nine kms from Bisra square to Panposh square. Majority of the area-based development (ABD) proposals through retrofitting are concentrated along this stretch.The number of vehicles in the city and the connected Industrial Township of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) has gone beyond two lakhs with total population of above 5.5 lakh.
Sources said all sorts of commercial activities are concentrated along the main road with above 85 per cent of buildings on the stretch violating norms in creating own parking lots. This stretch has no scope for expansion without acquisition of thickly populated private land.The RSCL’s Citizens’ Charter proposes creation of two multi-level smart car parking areas near Birsa Munda Stadium which requires removal of encroachments. Other proposals include creation of 112 kms of pedestrian friendly roads, 12 kms of no vehicle zones, 98 kms of bicycle tracks, construction of foot over bridges and the near impossible pilot project proposal for pedestrianisation of the densely populated main road stretch from Bisra Square to Ambedkar Square besides development of the unorganised portion in front of Rourkela railway station as the gateway to the city. RSCL sources admitted that these proposals are vague in nature in absence of specific project reports.
Administrative sources claimed that traffic issues could not be addressed without activating the virtually defunct Mahtab Road running parallel to the main road. Two years back, the administration had mooted a proposal to widen about 10 connecting roads, that are reeling under encroachments, for smooth traffic diversion from the main road to Mahtab Road. However, this bold plan seems to have been given a quiet burial.
Former chairman of erstwhile Rourkela Municipality Ramesh Bal said traffic-related proposals of RSCL have no link to ground realities and were prepared hurriedly and haphazardly for the sake of submitting report to the Government. When the civic administration does not even own a towing vehicle, how can people expect better traffic management? he wondered.