ROURKELA: After failing to meet the completion target of December 2024, two crucial barrage-cum-bridge projects over Ib river in Sadar block of Sundargarh district are awaiting further extension of time.
The two in-stream storage structures (ISSs) at Kudabaga and Kopsingha are primarily meant for storing drinking water during summer. Sources said after construction of multiple barrages on the upstream of Ib river in Chhattisgarh, the Sundargarh stretch in the downstream is facing acute water crisis during summer.
The then chief minister Naveen Patnaik had virtually laid the foundation stones for Kudabaga and Kopsingha ISSs in January 2022, stating that the projects would benefit 47,000 people in Sundargarh municipality and villages of Sadar and nearby blocks.
The two barrages also envisage irrigation of 488 hectare of land, promotion of fish farming and providing villagers of Lephripada and Tangarpali blocks easy access to major roads with bridges atop the storage structures.
Superintending engineer of Sundargarh Irrigation division Maitry Parida said almost 75 per cent work on the projects has been completed. “We are awaiting approval for further extension of time (EoT).”
Parida said in absence of an officially declared EoT, she cannot give a tentative timeframe for completion of the projects. She further informed that the time-consuming land acquisition process for the approach roads of the projects is underway and recently, the issue was discussed with the Sundargarh collector.
Meanwhile, BJD’s Sundargarh MLA Jogesh Singh has raised objection to the alleged lowering of height and width of the Kopsingha barrage. Singh said it is concerning that the height of the water retention barrage structure at Kopsingha has been reduced to 3.5 metre from the original design of five metre. The original barrage height of five metre will make adequate water available for supply to nearby villages and Sundargarh town through the PHED (now WATCO) intake well on the upstream of the barrage, he said.
Singh apprehended that if the height of the storage structure is reduced, water will not reach the PHED intake point. He also claimed that the width of the bridge atop the barrage structure has been narrowed during execution of the project.
The MLA said a fortnight back, he wrote to the additional chief secretary to the government in Water Resources department in this regard.
Expressing concern over the delay in construction, Singh said the estimated cost of Kopsingha project is about `221 crore while the one at Kudbaga is around `186 crore. The government should ensure there is no further cost and time overrun and people get benefits from the projects at the earliest, he added.