Bari: As many as nine bridges between Jokadia and Dhamra will be re-constructed to make the National Waterway-5 operational, a report said Tuesday.
This has found mention in the first survey of the project that was available here Tuesday. This apart, the survey report has proposed to construct six barrages and two check dams on the waterway to make it operational for inland water transport in the state.
When completed, the waterway will be used for transporting coal from the Talcher coalfields and steel and other products from Kalinganagar Industrial Complex to Haldia port via Dhamra port in Bhadrak district and Paradip port in Jagatsinghpur district.
- The National Inland Waterway Authority Ltd (NIWA) had proposed to make National Waterway-5 operational by constructing a 623 km-long waterway in the state in 2008 to help incur minimum expenses on transportation and for traffic control in the state
- When completed, the waterway will be used for transporting coal from the Talcher coalfields and steel and other products from Kalinganagar Industrial Complex to Haldia port via Dhamra port and Paradip port
It was then planned to transport 11 million tonne of goods in the first phase per annum, which would later be expanded. According to plans, the capacity of the goods transported via the waterway would be increased to 23 million tonne per annum in the second phase.
The bridges will be reconstructed following survey by a review committee, which proposed for their reconstruction. The committee, in its report, had said that ships and boats ferrying goods will not be able to pass under the Rajnagar bridge, Aul bridge, Manpur bridge, Jahal bridge, Sujanpur-Tantighai bridge, Nalbant bridge, Jokadia bridge and the two bridges near Khanditar adjoining the National Highway and, hence, recommended their reconstruction.
As a result, the bridges will be demolished and new bridges will be constructed in their places. This apart, an anicut at Jokadia will be reconstructed to ensure sufficient water flow in the rivers from Jokadia to Dhamara.
This apart, an anicut at at Tantighai on Kharasrota river, a barrage at Padanipal near Kacherigaon, barrage at Kamalpur, the confluence of Budha and Kharasrota rivers, and an anicut at Jenapur will be reconstructed along with two check dams at Erada and Udayanathpur under this block.
The plan outlay for the projects will be prepared after receiving the technical and financial reports on the projects, sources from Inland Water Transport Department said. These two reports are expected to be available by November.
Notably, the National Inland Waterway Authority Ltd (NIWA) had proposed to make National Waterway-5 operational by constructing a 623 km-long waterway in the state in 2008 to help incur minimum expenses on transportation and for traffic control in the state. The Centre had then prepared a plan outlay of Rs 4209 crore for the project.
Later, a consultancy agency took up dredging works on Kharasrota distributaries at Erada-Tantighai under this block in Jajpur district. The work was soon abandoned and the survey work was undertaken for the project. However, the dredging work will restart soon for which the field officials are conducting field visits, sources from NIWA said.
When contacted, a senior engineer of the Inland Water Transport Department said that the plan outlay might cross Rs 21,000 crore due to delay in implementation of the project, as prices of land, construction materials and labour has gone up during these 10 years.
PNN