Balasore: The people of Balasore district have shown their excitement for the upcoming Subarnarekha port in the Baliapal block of the district in Odisha.
A public hearing for the proposed port will be held in the coming days.
Adequate preparations are being made by the district administration for Subaranrekha port. The port, which is proposed to handle 31 million tons of cargo annually in the first phase, will provide services to states like Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand.
It is expected that there will be a drastic developmental change in the economy of the entire Balasore district due to the port. However, while some people are opposing the construction of the port, many others have expressed their support. Here is a ground zero report.
Baliapal block is the most fertile and favorable agricultural area of Balasore district, enriched with natural beauty.
People here are very hardworking. The main crops of the people are beetle, coconut, paddy, peanut etc. People here rarely have to go out in search of work as they are all self-reliant by farming. This river has strengthened the economy of Jaleswar block.
As the port will lead to development of local economy, employment opportunities, direct and indirect local development, the students, public and intellectuals of Baliapal block do not want to miss this opportunity.
In 2008, Chennai’s Creative Port Private Limited was granted permission to set up the Subarnarekha Port in Choumukh area of Baliapal block. However, due to various reasons, it could not proceed.
After Tata Steel acquired 51 percent stake in Creative Port Private Limited in 2018, the construction of the port has been progressing slowly. As the environmental clearance period for the project has expired, the State Pollution Control Board is going to hold a public hearing for it again in the coming days at Dogra Mauza in Baliapal block. The local people are eagerly waiting for the proposed port as it will be important for the development of the local area including the district.
Due to the support of Baliapal residents for the construction of the project, the state government’s commerce and transport department has acquired 80 percent of the land. Some of the acquired land is government land while some is private land. Any land required for future expansion and progress of the project will be between 2 to 2.5 km from government land and sea. No one will lose an inch of his own land. The port authorities have clarified that there will be no negative impact on the social and economic development of the local residents.
The proposed project, spread over 1105 acres, has 692 acres of non-encroached government land. Except for railway lines and roads, no private land will be acquired for the project, nor will anyone be displaced.
The port includes a revenue sharing arrangement with the Government of Odisha. On the other hand, the district administration is preparing to hold a public hearing as per the law.
In Odisha, after Gopalpur, Paradeep and Dhamra, great potential has been expected for Balasore district after the construction of such a large-scale project.
If the proposed Subaranrekha port becomes operational, there is provision for 100 percent rail transport in Baliapal region without affecting road traffic.
However, for the project, there is a proposal to build a railway on the banks of the river Subarnarekha. If this is implemented, the villages on the banks of the river can be saved from floods.
On the other hand, the opening of the Subranrekha River estuary will facilitate the flow of water and the villages will be saved from soil erosion and flood risk and it would not be an exaggeration to say that the port will be a boon for the local area.
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