Quote:In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal also outlined the key projects being undertaken by the Centre through the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in Odisha.
"Government of India through Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has taken up development of six declared National Waterways (NWs) i.e. Brahmani & Mahanadi Delta & East Coast Canal (NW-5), Baitarni River (NW-14), Birupa River-Badi Genguti-Brahamani River System (NW-22), Buddha Balanga River (NW-23), Mahanadi River (NW-64) and Subarnarekha River (NW-96) in the State of Odisha for both cargo and river cruise tourism," Sonowal said.
The minister highlighted that the Centre is working on water infrastructure upgrades, including ports, terminals, docks, and navigation systems in Odisha. These projects include:
1. Development of NW-5 for evacuation of coal through Talcher coal fields and connectivity to Pankapal Industrial area.
2. Jetty for river cruise tourism around Bhitarkanika Forest on Baitarni River (NW-14).
3. Birupa River -BadiGenguti -Brahmani River System (NW-22) - river cruise to connect the "Diamond Triangle" of the "Ratnagiri-Udayagiri-Lalitgiri" complex.
4. Buddha Balanga River (NW-23)- river cruise from Hidden Beach (Chandipur) to Balasore city.
5. Mahanadi River (NW-64) - Class-VII standard waterway (carrying capacity of 2000 DWT vessels), navigational aids and passenger jetties at Bahakud-Musadiafor ferry service.
6. River Subarnarekha (NW-96)- river cruise connecting Panteighat to Bichitrapur Mangroves and Bhusandeswara Temple (Asia’s largest Shivlingam) and adjoining Digha Sea Beach (in West Bengal) with dedicated floating jetties at each location.
On the Chilika lake development, the minister said that development of the lake comes under the Odisha government's domain but if the state government wants, the IWAI may provide technical assistance to it.
Quote:Greenfield Airport Planned at Paradip to Boost Aviation Connectivity.
The Odisha government has proposed the development of a greenfield airport at Paradip in the state budget presented recently, aiming to accelerate growth in industry, exports, and imports while expanding the aviation network across coastal industrial clusters. A greenfield airport, being built from the ground up, offers a unique opportunity to cater to the region's expanding economic activity, driven by major industries, ports, and cargo operations.
Paradip has recently been identified as a growing industrial hub under the Centre's ‘Mission Purvodaya,’ with projects such as port capacity expansion and new petrochemical initiatives contributing to its development. Aviation experts believe that a greenfield airport in Paradip could provide the necessary infrastructure to support this economic growth.
Quote:Odisha State Road Policy 2025 gets cabinet nod; govt to create 75000 km world-class road network
author
BY : Vikash Sharma
PUBLISHED: 21 Mar 2025, 06:23 PM IST
LAST UPDATE: 21 Mar 2025, 06:23 PM IST
The Cabinet approved the "Odisha State Highways Authority Bill-2025". This bill paves the way for the establishment of an autonomous body named the Odisha State Highways Authority
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Key Features of Odisha State Road Policy 2025
The newly approved policy aims to provide a structured framework for the development of road infrastructure in the state. Some of its major highlights include:
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Major Road Development Goals and Vision
To boost Odisha’s economic development, the government has set an ambitious target of developing a 75,000 km world-class road network. This initiative will focus on enhancing road connectivity, ensuring smooth transportation, and supporting large-scale infrastructure projects across the state.
Formation of the Odisha State Highways Authority
In another major decision, the Cabinet approved the "Odisha State Highways Authority Bill-2025". This bill paves the way for the establishment of an autonomous body named the Odisha State Highways Authority, which will be responsible for the overall development and management of major road projects across the state.
This newly formed authority will play a crucial role in accelerating the implementation of large-scale road projects, ensuring faster approvals, efficient execution, and enhanced maintenance mechanisms.
Posted by: Chitta - 03-22-2025, 11:19 PM - Forum: Ring Road
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This is an excellent initiative. The propsoed 4 Lane Marine Drive Road from Gopalpur to Sonepur in Ganjam would improve tourism. It should pass close to IISER Berhampur. Besides tourism the government may use that corridor for more hi-tech and research institutions as well as companies. See images below:
The main campus of this is located in Gandhinagar. Its website is https://www.nfsu.ac.in/campus and one of its new campus will be in Khorda. See below.
Quote:Six-lane road over Bhubaneswar Gangua Nala to mitigate traffic jam
BY : Rashmi Ranjan
PUBLISHED: 12 Mar 2025, 04:01 PM IST
Centre approves Rs 50 crore for widening Palasuni bridge over Gangua Nala to six lanes, easing Bhubaneswar traffic. Nitin Gadkari sanctioned the project after Aparajita Sarangi's intervention.
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In a major boost to the road infrastructure project in Bhubaneswar, the Centre has given its in-principle approval for the widening of the existing bridge at Palasuni on Gangua nala to six-lane to mitigate the traffic jam issue in the smart city.
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The project, which includes the expansion of the existing bridge over the Gangua Nala and the construction of an additional 6-lane road to alleviate traffic congestion in the Palasuni area, has been sanctioned with a budget of Rs 50 crore, source said, adding that, as part of the proposal, the four-lane road currently in place will be upgraded to a six-lane road.
Currently, the road over the Gangua Nala has four lanes, with one lane on each side for both the left and right.
The new plan includes the addition of two extra lanes on both sides, with the construction of an extended bridge spanning 240 meters. This will significantly improve traffic flow and reduce congestion in the area.
Quote:About 18 to 19 acres of lands will be transferred to OUAT, College of Fisheries, Rangeilunda, Ganjam (Agri & farmers Dept.) Notification released by Konisi Tahasil office. Odisha Govt. is planning OUAT COF be converted to Fisheries University in near future.
Quote:NITI Aayog to help Odisha prepare blueprint of metropolitan region
The region will include metro, a new satellite city on the outskirts of the capital as well as advanced urban infrastructure and facilities.
Sudarsan Maharana
Updated on:
27 Feb 2025, 9:02 pm
BHUBANESWAR: The NITI Aayog will help the state government prepare a blueprint of the metropolitan development region spanning the coastal belt of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Paradip and Puri.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the budget this year had announced plans for establishing the metropolitan development region covering 7,000 sq km and encompassing Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Jatni, Cuttack, Paradip and Puri to give a push to the state’s urban coverage which at present comprises just about 17 per cent.
Sources in the H&UD department said the 7,000 sq km region will also be known as Greater Bhubaneswar region. It will be a large geographical area covering multiple cities with shared infrastructure and transportation network. The region will include metro, a new satellite city on the outskirts of the capital as well as advanced urban infrastructure and facilities.
The area will also be developed as sustainable economic hub with industries, services, education and health for provisioning better employment opportunities as well as improving living standards of the people. It will be developed on the lines of other metropolitan development regions like Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Pune and Nashik, the sources said.
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“The Aayog has asked us to provide available data on district population, current status of industries, projects in the pipeline and the annual budget size and expenditure. The data will be used to prepare the blueprint for systematic implementation of the upcoming projects to realise government’s plan of developing a metropolitan development region,” said Khurda collector Chanchal Rana.
