Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday laid the foundation stone for the construction of two barrages worth Rs 493 crore on Ib river in Kopsingha and Kudabanga blocks of Sundargarh.
The project, likely to be completed in two years, is going to benefit 47,000 people in Sundargarh Sadar, Lefripada, Balisankara, Tangarpali blocks and Sundargarh municipality.
Additionally, 488 hectares of land will be irrigated by the project. Fishermen can also use the barrages for fishing.
The bridges on these barrages, once completed, will provide direct connectivity to the people of Lefripada and Tangarpali blocks to Rourkela.
On the occasion, Naveen said the state government had launched the construction of ‘in-stream storage structure’ scheme by its own funding under which Rs 11,700 crore would be spent to build barrages on rivers at 30 places.
“This facility will improve groundwater levels, provide perennial water for irrigation to farmers and make available clean drinking water to villages,” the CM said.
Naveen said Sundargarh was the lighthouse of Odisha’s development. “Rourkela city, Rourkela Steel Plant and Rourkela NIT have enhanced the pride of Odisha. The memory of legendary Biju Patnaik is associated with these important projects,” the CM further said. “Sundargarh has given many things to the country… it provided coal to empower India. Asia’s largest hockey stadium will come up in Sundargarh,” he said.
“Sundargarh has brought pride to the country by producing many hockey players,” he said.
The CM expressed happiness at the successful implementation of Mission Shakti and his 5-T governance model in the education sector in Sundargarh and also the facility of Biju Swasthya Kalyan Smart Health Card to the people of the region that will help them get the best medical treatment.
Patnaik exhorted the people to take advantage of the different development and welfare schemes of the state government and put in their contribution to build a new Odisha.
Rourkela MLA Sarada Nayak and Anu Garg, Principal Secretary, Water Resources Department, attended the programme.
