Dhanbad, April 8: Jharia Rehabilitation Development Authority (JRDA) is now focusing on creating rail and road links to Belgarhia where flats have been allotted to 400 families who have lost their homes due to an underground fire raging in the area for decades.

A land survey is on to facilitate diversions in rail and road connectivity — also water lines — so that Jharia Vihar Colony in Belgarhia in Baliapur block is well connected to the twin towns of Dhanbad and Jharia.

Altogether four rail lines, two each of East Central Railway and South Eastern Railway, besides four roads, including NH-32, are to be diverted.

The survey is being conducted in Dhokra, Duhatand and Manaitand areas by infrastructure consultancy firm Rites with whom JRDA has signed an MoU to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) concerning the rail and road diversions in two years.

While BCCL has agreed to shell out Rs 14 crore to JRDA for constructing a bypass for Belgarhia, JRDA has provided Rs 11 crore to the district to settle compensation claims when land is acquired.

A high-level meeting has been scheduled for April 13 at the JRDA office in Dhanbad on the proposed DPR. To be presided over by JRDA GM Keshav Gupta, among those expected to attend are GM of Rites Tarun Sengupta and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) executives.

JRDA superintending engineer Narendra Kumar said the idea behind creating rail and road diversions was to connect the upcoming satellite townships with other parts of the district.

The four railway lines that are to be diverted include Adra-Santhaldih-Bhaga- Gomoh line, Patherdih-Bhojudih link line (both South Eastern Railway), Dhanabad-Chandrapura line and Dhanbad-Kusunda Tetulmari link line (both East Central Railway).

The four roads that are to be diverted are Jharia Kendua road, Jharia Sindri road, Dumra Tundu Road and NH-32 which has suffered a minor subsidence in the Kendua area six months ago.

This apart, a socio-economic survey of non-BCCL families residing in the fire affected areas is also on _ 8,000 families have already been accounted for while 50,000 people are to be covered by the first quarter of next year.