Sambalpur: Keeping the development and flood control for 2030 in view, the state government has taken the initiative for construction of a second Ring Road on the other side of river Mahanadi here.

The second ring road will start from the origin of the second Mahanadi river bridge on the other side of Nelson Mandela Chowk, Charpur, till Ashok Nivas in Burla.

The work will be taken up in three phases.

As part of the first phase of work, the revenue department has started acquiring land. Notices have been served to acquire 41.83 acres in Charpur, Barahakhani and Mudoghat villages.

Survey for details land position has started from Potapali to the national highway till Burla for the second phase. In the third phase, construction work will take place from the national highway to Ashok Nivas, special land acquisition officer S. Tripathy told The Telegraph.

The public works department (PWD) will carry out the construction work and Rs 12 crore have been allotted for the purpose in the first phase. The double lane road of around 14km will pass through two rail overbridges and three four-way chowks.

A park and a recreation centre would be developed over 2.5 acres on the meeting path of second Mahanadi bridge and starting of the ring road.

The sleepy village of Charpur and other small villages situated on the bank of river Mahanadi will turn into important business centre in the coming days.

With the old town of Sambalpur existing on one side of the Mahanadi, the other side will be a major town and education hub.

The state government has drawn up plan for a satellite town by allotting land for the Indian Institute of Management-Sambalpur, Second Battalion of the CRPF of Odisha, Sainik School, Second Kendriya Vidyalaya, second campus of the Gangadhar Meher University and Odisha Open University. Apart from this, land has been earmarked for the housing projects for various categories of people to be taken up by the Sambalpur Development Authority.

The ring road will help boost tourism because it would be close to the Ghanteswari temple, Chiplima, Hirakud dam and the famous Samaleswari temple.