Bhubaneswar, April. 24: At present, the Rourkela Airport has been developed over an area of 140 acres. For its expansion, an additional 278 acres of land from Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) and 44 acres of private land are required. However, vacating the RSP land and rehabilitating the local residents will take a considerable amount of time.
According to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the boundary of the new airport will be shaped like a cricket bat. The base of this “bat” will start from the western side near Chhend Colony and extend eastward in the form of a handle up to Sector-17 ‘A’ Block.
The airport boundary will have an approximate east-west length of 4.6 kilometers, while the north-south width will be around 300 meters. Towards Sector-17, the width will narrow down to about 70 meters.
For this expansion plan, four sectors of RSP—Sectors 13, 14, 15, and 17—will be significantly affected. Particularly, large portions of Sectors 13, 14, and 15, along with parts up to Sector-17 ‘A’ Block, will be cleared.
As a result, around 1,400 RSP quarters, Delhi Public School, the Sector-15 Police Station, four religious places, an electrical substation, and several other structures will be demolished. In addition, approximately 25,000 trees will be cut down.
The valuation of the existing airport has already been completed. After it is handed over to AAI, the valuation of RSP land and associated structures will be carried out.
However, several questions naturally arise:
When will the valuation process be completed at the government level?
Where will RSP rehabilitate the displaced residents?
How will former employees of leased factory units be provided with housing again?
These concerns are now becoming increasingly prominent.
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