Jamshedpur, Jan. 27: The river of gold will soon bridge the communication divide between the two states. The Jharkhand government has sent a proposal for an inter-state river transportation facility between Baharagora in Jharkhand and Balasore in Orissa to the Centre. The proposal called for a survey of the two places to be linked by Subarnarekha and to take steps to develop the facility.

Subernarekha, which meets the Bay of Bengal at Balasore, passes through Chandil, Galudih, Baharagora and the bordering Jamsola area. Although the river remains navigable only during the rainy season and dries up during winter, things are expected to improve after the ambitious Subernarekha Multi-purpose Project is complete.

State transport minister Sadhnu Bhagat told The Telegraph that the proposal was practical and bound to boost industry in Orissa and West Bengal.

“The state does not have a natural port, but we can always develop a port-like facility in the state by exploring the river-route and linking it to the nearest port in the neighbouring state. We had been looking for a way to develop the navigation system and we thought that this was feasible,” he said.

The minister said the state has to depend on Haldia and Paradeep ports for import and export of raw material, machinery and consignments, which are carried either by rail or road. “But once a navigation system has been developed between Baharagora and Balasore, then goods can be easily transported by water,’’ he added.

Transport department secretary Chintu Nayak said since there was no department to look after the development of navigational facility, the transport department had to get involved if the situation demanded.

“The idea is still nebulous and we have just sent a proposal to the Centre to conduct a feasibility survey. The Centre has to initiate measures to make the undulating stretch of the Subernarekha from Bahragora to Jamsole navigable. But this would be a wonderful thing for Jharkhand, particularly for its industrial development,” he said. Nayak said his department in July last year had circulated a notice to all the deputy commissioners of the state to suggest if any of the rivers falling under their jurisdiction were navigable. Barring the deputy commissioner of Gumla, no one gave any feedback. He added that the idea to start a navigational facility was first proposed by state health minister Dinesh Sarangi.

When contacted, Sarangi told The Telegraph that he had been toying with the idea of developing a port somewhere along the Subernarekha river. He also said he has convened a meeting with Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar recently and discussed the project and the navigational prospects of the Subarnarekha with him.