Rural Road Connectivity in Keonjhar Connects Unconnected Villages

Bhubaneswar: Roads are the lifeline of a developed society. Road Connectivity plays an important role in connecting the rural areas with the mainstream network. To realise the vision of rural development, the government lays special emphasis on road connectivity. The road connectivity initiatives in the mining affected Keonjhar district have connected many hitherto unconnected villages with the mainstream in the recent times.

Surrounded by hills & forests, Keonjhar district has various topographic challenges which led to connectivity issues for the people. To connect the unconnected villages of the area with the mainstream network, the district administration has taken up Road Connectivity projects. Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC), supports building of new roads and bridges, thus aiding in the life and livelihood of local people.

“OMBADC supports various welfare programmes being run by the administration in Keonjhar district. Road connectivity is among one such major initiatives in the area. With the construction of new roads and bridges in the rural belt, people’s life, education, healthcare, livelihood and other aspects have been positively impacted”, says CDO & EO Zilla Parishad Keonjhar, Bishnu Prasad Acharya.

OMBADC has funded the road and bridge construction work at three blocks of Harichandanpur, Banspal and Jhumpura in Keonjhar district. Till now, 224.04 Kilometres of roads have been laid in the district out of the targeted 262.32 Km. A total of 14 thousand people across 34 villages have been benefited through the same.

“Earlier, there was no pucca road in the village. Now, a concrete road has been constructed through the hill directly into our village. We can easily go to the health facility now. Our children can move quickly to the schools and colleges and it has become hassle free to go to the markets and to the city”, says Benudhar Danaik, a resident of Lungajhar GP in Banspal block.

Three bridges of total length 195.39 metre have been constructed at Nayakot Gram Panchayat of Banspal block. The bridges connect 7 villages easing the lives of over three thousand eight hundred people.

“Our village is surrounded by several small waterbodies. During the rains, the whole area used to get flooded leaving us stranded. Now, bridges have been constructed preventing the flooding while helping us easily navigate in and out of the village”, says Sumati Nayak of Nayakot GP.

The road connectivity projects in Keonjhar, supported by OMBADC have helped ease life, livelihood, education and transport facilities in the region. Moreover, it has boosted the healthcare facilities for people in the area. Pregnant Women in the area have got access to ambulance services thus promoting institutional delivery for them.

Now, local farmers and traders can move to the nearest markets and marketplaces in less time. Hence, the Road Connectivity programme has enhanced the quality of life for the people.