RailEnquiry

ROURKELA  : Even as the Railway Overbridge (ROB) at Basanti Colony here continues to be pending for years thousands of commuters at the busy level-crossings on Howrah-Mumbai route are perennially experiencing inconvenience. As work on the ROB at Basanti Colony is in progress, the vehicular traffic is diverted to the STI and ITI level-crossings. At the ITI  commuters have to spare at least 10 to 20 minutes to come out of the traffic in the event of trains arriving from opposite directions. The ITI level-crossing is narrow in the mouth and has sharp bend to mount woes with dense traffic.  This level-crossing connects the Chhend Colony, said to be Asia’s largest housing colony, besides the Reserve Police Line, Industrial Estate, ITI and the ESIC model hospital. LIC employee Rabi Saraf of Chhend said he inevitably faces this experience daily. At least two more ROBs at Kalunga and IDC areas having considerable industrial activities are urgently required. South Eastern Railway (SER) sources said 145 to 150 express and good trains daily ply through Rourkela.Administrative sources said proposals are there to set up ROBs at ITI, STI, Kukudagate, IDC and Kalunga on PPP mode, but nobody is sure when they will materialise.PWD Executive Engineer UC Mishra admitted that ROBs at ITI, IDC and Kalunga level-crossings are urgently required and proposals are on the preparatory stage. He exuded confidence that the ROB at Basanti Colony would be completed by March at a revised cost of ` 22 crore.Rourkela Development Steering Committee (RDCC) president Subrat Patnaik who is fighting for augmentation of railway infrastructure blamed the State Government, adding unlike in the past the Indian Railways is readily willing to share 50 per cent project cost. He demanded three more ROBs.