ROURKELA: Even as upgradation of NH-520 (old NH-215) from Rimuli in Keonjhar district to Rajamunda via Koida in Bonai sub-division of Sundargarh district is being finally implemented, work on the portion of the NH passing through forest areas has been stopped due to lack of Stage II forest clearance.
Rourkela-based NHAI Project Director, Saurav Chaurasia said ground work started from May this year. The project, being carried out in two packages at the cost of Rs 1,200 crore, will be completed by May 2020. The package for 46 kms stretch from Rimuli to Koida has been bagged by Montecarlo Ltd, while a joint venture construction firm KMC-RKD bagged the other package of 54 kms from Koida to Rajamunda. The entire project envisages construction of three major road over bridges.
NHAI officials said a month back, Forest department stopped construction work in forest areas due to lack of Stage II forest clearance. The NHAI has written for early accordance of Stage II forest clearance, while the local forest authorities had given permission for felling of trees a year back.Senior CPM leader Banamali Dhupal said the NH-520 passing through Koida is in a highly dilapidated condition.
The NH stretch has been a victim of inordinate delay after it was sanctioned almost 11 years back. Earlier, works had started in July 2011 on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) mode by Odisha Steel Expressway Pvt. Ltd, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of MBL-SREI. After implementing 10 per cent work, the contract firm withdrew from the project.