Rourkela: A delay in shifting of utilities and felling of trees between Jaraikela and Bondamunda has slowed down widening work on the newly-declared National Highway-320 in Odisha’s Sundargarh district.
According to the New Indian Express, the National Highway Division (NHD) received around 80 per cent of land after removing acquisition hurdles on major portion of the 25.450 km NH stretch between Jaraikela in the Bisra block and the stockyard of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) at Bondamunda.
Widening work on a 22.077 km stretch started in October 2024. While Rs 11 crore was deposited with Tata Power Western Odisha Distribution Ltd (TPWODL) for shifting of electrical utilities, Rs 3 crore was deposited with the Forest department for felling of 1,723 trees and compensatory afforestation.
According to the newspaper, no effort has been made so far to shift electricity poles and overhead wires, while the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) is yet to cut down 167 of the total 1,723 trees falling on the project alignment. It has also been reported that trunks over 100 felled trees up to 10 feet high are yet to be removed at different places, thereby affecting the widening work.
OFDC blamed the TPWODL contractor for the delay in tree felling. District manager of OFDC Biswajit Rout told the newspaper that there has been a delay in felling of the remaining trees and removal of trunks due to non-shifting of electricity poles as the overhead wires pass through these trees. After a joint verification, the electricity contractor has sought one-week time to shift the poles.
“At a recent meeting with TPWODL authorities at Bhubaneswar, it was categorically told that no change in agreement would be entertained. The utility shifting work would start soon,” National Highway Division (NHD) executive engineer Narayan Behera has been quoted as saying.
Sources told the newspaper that a cloud of uncertainty also shrouds the remaining stretch of around 12 km from Bondamunda to the connecting point of the NH-320 D to NH-143 at Hockey square as RSP is refusing to part with its ring road. There is also land issue for the ROB at Mahipani.
Behera has said two proposals to divert the alignment from Bondamunda to Katin Chowk and a nearby point to connect NH-143 are under consideration.
The NH widening project is being executed in patches under Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode and October 31, 2026 has been set as the completion date. To cause minimum disruption, the project width has been reduced to 15 metre including 10 metre bitumen carriage way and the rest for paved shoulders on both sides.
