The Steel City selected as the second venue for the Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2023, is in full fledged action to complete the Smart City projects on time. Rourkela Smart City Limited (RSCL) sources said preparations for the event have again started gaining pace after a pause due to COVID-19 and consequent lockdown. 

The redevelopment of the multi-purpose Birsa Munda Stadium, multi-level car parking and Biju Patnaik Indoor Stadium-cum-auditorium are in advanced stage. The first phase of the smart road project has started and the second will commence soon, the sources reported. Rourkela city beautification projects including the construction of a green buffer zone around DAV pond and Brahmani river front, development of slums, transformation of Vedvyas as a tourism site and construction of mechanical auditorium at Vedvyas are at various stages of development. Besides, work on the underground sewerage system in the city will be completed by June next year, the sources said. 

Rourkela Municipal Commissioner and CEO of RSCL, Dibyajyoti Parida said everyone is confident that all Smart City projects would be completed by next year and there would be enough time left to prepare for the World Cup. After a visit by a team from Hockey India in the next few days, work on another practice stadium at Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium would be started. Regarding the air transport, the sources said the state government and Airports Authority of India (AAI) are working to restore commercial flights to and from SAIL’s airport in the city under the Regional Connectivity Scheme, ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’. If all goes as per plan, flight operations may start from the airport in the next six to eight months.

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