SUNDARGARH : Under pressure for expeditious implementation of the Bankibahal to Bhedabahal coal corridor project, the Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) and Sundargarh administration are now facing another demand for upgrading a busy road in Hemgir block as a new coal corridor.
Members of Bisthapith Gaadi Malik Sangh (BGMS) led by President GC Pradhan and general secretary Judhisthir Gidili on Friday submitted a memorandum to the Sundargarh Collector requesting his intervention to develop the Bankibhal-Taparia road as a four-lane coal corridor.
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Pradhan said the 25 km single road connects all three mines of MCL in Hemgir block at Bankibhal and passes through nine-gram panchayats of Hemgir. The road culminates at Taparia on the Chhattisgarh border and its bulk coal dispatch is to the tune of six lakh tonne per month to different industries in the neighbouring state.
Coal transportation on this road is much higher than the approved Bankibahal-Bhedabahal coal corridor project towards Sundargarh. More than 1,200 multi-axle coal-carrying trucks ply on this neglected road that has got badly damaged due to heavy movement of heavy coal-laden vehicles. This has also led to rise in fatal mishaps. If this narrow road is developed into four-lane and declared as a coal corridor, it would immensely benefit truck operators along with villagers, he said.
Pradhan said the then Sundargarh Collector in 2012-13 had taken a decision to widen the road for which land acquisition was completed with payment of compensation to the land losers. But the widening proposal continues to hang fire.
Meanwhile, Sundargarh Collector Nikhil Pavan Kalyan said he would look into the feasibility of the proposal along with land status.
Earlier, MCL had approved the Bankibahal-Bhedabahal four-lane coal corridor project which will start from Hemgir block and pass through Lefripara, Tangarpali and Sundargarh (Sadar) blocks to connect SH-10 at Bhedabahal. With revised cost of about Rs 430 crore, MCL in June 2017, had entrusted the task of executing the project to the PWD.