Ranchi: The road construction department (RCD), Jharkhand, has proposed to build a 49km long circular inner road to get rid of recurring traffic jams in the city’s outskirts. The road is part of the Ranchi’s Master Plan-2037. The state government has roped in Mecon as consultant for the project, which is identify the alignment and prepare the detailed project report (DPR).
The then state government had in 2015 envisaged construction of the inner ring road plan, but it was put on the back burner after appointment of the consultant for it. The Mecon Limited, which has been retained as the consultant, has conducted the survey and proposed a provisional route for the ring road, which will be 45-metre wide.
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As the momentum for building the ring road picked up, the Ranchi municipal corporation (RMC) and the Ranchi regional development authority (RRDA) have banned the passing of new house maps in the area falling under the provisional alignment. The issue of regularization of about 5,000 households in 20 villages under its jurisdiction is also stuck. The government is bringing regularization policy to regularize illegal buildings.
If the master plan is not amended, these households will not benefit from this scheme. People, whose houses fall under the route plan are enraged. On Wednesday, dozens of people from Bajra Khakshi Toli and Kumba Toli met the RMC commissioner and handed over their demands. “Revise the master plan and remove the ring road, so that those settlements or houses that are falling within the scope of the proposed road can be regularised. The city commissioner has assured them of consideration,” said one of the delegation leaders
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Govt firm on inner road concept
Unfazed by the protests from local residents, the state government is firm on building the inner road on the plea that the needed needed necessary infrastructure to facilitate movement of around 4 lakh vehicles over the next 14 years. By 2037, the population of Ranchi city will increase from 1.5 million to around 3 million. For such a population, a road would be needed to drive public vehicles with private vehicles. It is not possible to handle such heavy traffic from the currently available main road. Therefore, inner circular road is necessary.
RCD willing to review route plan
The RCD secretary had said that the department would look into the possibilities of modifying the route plan slightly to minimise impact on existing and settled colonies.
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This year’s budget has provided funds for the Inner Ring Road. However, the possibility of changing the proposed road map in the master plan to an inner ring road is being explored. RCD secretary Sunil Kumar had also said that the area is densely populated. This will cost a lot of money on land acquisition. Large numbers of people will be homeless, so are looking for alternative routes.
Experts also favour change in route to avoid densely populated areas
Some of the stretches from where the inner ring road is supposed to pass are densely populated. It is not possible to demolish thousands of houses, acquire land and build roads. “Therefore, the master plan should be amended to regularize the houses on the site marked for the inner ring road. The map of the new house should also be passed, so that the construction of illegal houses is stopped,” said Sujit Singh, an architect
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Villagers meet municipal commissioner, urge to change route plan
A delegation of villagers from the localities likely to fall within the route of proposed inner ring road met the RMC commissioners and urged him to re-think the route plan so that thousands of houses and multi-storeyed apartments already built shall not be demolished. The ring road is proposed to pass through Bajra, Lalit Narayan Mishra Colony, Banhora, Pandra, Chatakpur, Kamta, Jaipur, Chori, Lem, Kishunpur, Jumar river bank, Dumradaga, Lalganj, Namkum, Chete, Hethu, Kute, Sai City in Pundag, Prem Nagar, Vikas Nagar and Kalandar Basti. Most of the houses belong to tribal communities. These houses will not get the benefit of the regularization policy, so the villagers have demanded a revision in the plan from the municipal commissioner.
Ring road to be ready soon for vehicular traffic
The construction of the long-awaited ring road in Ranchi is set to be completed very soon. The 85 km ring road is being constructed in five sections in the district. Of the total length, 59 km long road has been completed, while construction of 26 km long road from Vikas to Rampur in two sections is underway. Up on the completion the ring road, major issue for vehicular jams in city area would largely be eliminated. Moreover, commercial activities will be started on both sides of the ₹383 crore ring road.
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DPR for 190-km outer ring road is being prepared
A new outer ring road will also be constructed at a distance of about 10 km of the ring road under construction. Preparations are underway for its construction. Gurugam-based MSV International has been selected to prepare the DPR for the Outer Ring Road. The DPR will be ready in six months. Thereafter, construction of the outer ring road will also be started once funds are received from the central government. The road construction department has conducted a survey for the construction of the outer ring road. The total length of the Outer Ring Road will be 190 km.
