Rourkela


Rourkela is a planned city located in the northern district Sundargarh of Odisha, India. It is a Tier-2 city and the third-largest city in Odisha after Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. It is situated about west of the state capital Bhubaneswar and is surrounded by a range of hills and encircled by the rivers Koel, Sankha, and Brahmani. The city is also popularly known as Ispat Nagar and Steel City of Odisha.
The town has one of the largest integrated steel plants set up with German collaboration Known as Rourkela Steel Plant, of Steel Authority of India Limited '. It also has one of the premier national level technical institute known as National Institutes of Technology '. Every year, on 3 March Rourkela Day has been celebrated. The city has been selected as smart city in the third phase of the National Smart Cities Mission on 20 September 2016, which is to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local area development. Rourkela has been declared India's Fastest Moving City. Rourkela is third largest city of Odisha state and categorised as a Tier-2 city.

History

In the local Sadri language Rourkela means "Your village". It comes under Sundergarh district of the Indian state of Odisha.
The twin towns of Rourkela and Fertilizer Township, as well as their developed periphery, are located in areas that were once covered by dense forests.
India's first public sector steel plant facility was established in Rourkela with the help of German businesses Krupp and Demag. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the town was the largest German colony outside Germany.
Following India's independence, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, wanted to make India an industrialized state in Soviet model of social development; giving wings to his dreams, Sri Biju Pattanaik convinced Pandit Nehru to consider the location of Rourkela for setting up a steel plant. The mineral-rich zone of Rourkela intersected by the rivers Brahmani, Koel and Sankha from two sides was aptly chosen for the same.
The preliminary survey for the steel plant at Rourkela was started in 1952 and the Government of Odisha issued a gazette notification on 16 February 1954. In accordance with the notification, the Government of Odisha acquired an area of about 80 square miles around Rourkela for the purpose of Steel Plant. The German private companies Krupp and Demag came forward to provide financial and technical help for the proposed steel plant at Rourkela. Krupp built Rourkela Steel Plant drawing from experience from its own works in Essen, Germany. The technical experts of the company advised the Government of India as well as the Government of Odisha for acquiring more land. As a result, a further area of 32 square kilometres was acquired out of 31 revenue villages. Almost 13,000 people in 2,424 families lost their dwelling. Later further of land were acquired out of 31 revenue villages for the construction of Mandira Dam, a water embankment. Moreland was requisitioned for the purpose of constructing railway lines to Hatia and Barsuan. The construction of the Bondamunda Railway junction required the further acquisition of land which resulted in 20,000 people's displacement from their habitat. Though there was initial discontentment among the tribals about the land acquisition the authority largely resolved the land dispute, as many of the tribals were provided employment and accommodation. The displaced tribals were relocated to places such as Jalda, Jhirpani, Bisra, and Bondamunda. Their new settlement even extended beyond the river Koel.
Thousands of technical personnel from West Germany came to Rourkela to extend their technical assistance. Some of these Germans came with their family and their small diaspora created the 'Indo-German Club' to socialise. The club exists today with a well-stocked library known as Max Muller library. There are a plethora of local stories of Germans social encounters with tribals and people from other parts of India who had relocated themselves to Rourkela for employment. A large part of this population was from coastal and western Odisha who were trained by the German workforce to adapt to the steel plant's technology rigour. The steel plant, which was hugely surrounded by forest, many times witnessed wild animals straying into the plant area. A royal Bengal tiger's lugubrious death in the steel plant's massive blast furnace is a part of the city's folklore. There were also tales about the disappearance of Germans in the nearby Vedvyas cave and the dread whirlpool of river Koel. The river still accounts for human casualty as some day-trippers' wade into the water unaware of the maelstrom.

Geography

Rourkela is located at 84.54E longitude and 22.12N latitude in Sundergarh district of Odisha at an elevation of about above mean sea level. The area of Rourkela is 200 square kilometers approximately. Being situated on the Howrah-Mumbai rail track, Rourkela had an added advantage of the steel plant being set up there. Red and laterite soils are found here which are quite rich in minerals. The area near Rourkela is rich in iron-ore hence a steel plant is situated in Rourkela. Bolani and Barsuan are the two most prominent mines situated near the town. Rourkela is situated in a hilly region. A small hill range named Durgapur Pahad runs through the heart of the city dividing it into plant area and the steel township. The name "Durgapur" comes from an old village that existed at the foothills long time ago before the plant was set up. The South Koel River and Sankha rivers meet at Vedvyas, Rourkela and flow as a single river called Brahmani.

Climate

Rourkela has a tropical climate and receives high rainfall during Southwest monsoon and retreating Northeast monsoon. Average annual rainfall ranges between 160 and 200 cm.
The minimum and maximum temperatures are in the range of 5 C to 49.7 C with a mean minimum and maximum temperature range of 12.0 C to 31.5 C during coldest and hottest months. Thirty six percent of the geographical area of the district has semi-evergreen or tropical dry deciduous forest.
Rourkela has been ranked 12th best "National Clean Air City" under in India.

Economy

Rourkela is the industrial capital of Odisha. Rourkela, with a population more than 6 lakhs and the first place in India to house of 1.8 MT integrated steel plant, and with joins the IT world through STPI. STPI has already set up and dedicated earth station in Rourkela to welcome the IT entrepreneurs. There are number of small to large manufacturing industries for economic activity in and around the city.

City layout

The Rourkela city is divided into two separate townships under the Census of India as Steel Township and Civil Township. The Residential quarter's colony of Rourkela Steel Plant having eighteen sectors on record is called Steel Township and the other part is called Civil Township. One smaller township Fertiliser was renamed sector-22, as this township is within the purview of SAIL.
Steel Township is a modern industrial habitation mostly residential quarters, characterised by extensive green coverage under the Steel Plant Administration. A number of artistically crafted monuments not only add significant grace to the landscape of the township but also showcase the innovative usage of steel for creating objects of art.
The 16 km long Ring Road connects eighteen sectors and some major parts of the steel city including Chhend Colony, Civil Township, Udit Nagar, Basanti Nagar, Koel Nagar, Jagda, Jhirpani, Panposh, Fertiliser Township, Hamirpur, and Vedvyas.
The steel city is divided mainly into two separate townships under Census of India as Steel Township and Civil Township. The Steel Township is a modern industrial habitation under the Steel Plant Administration, while the other sections are under the Rourkela Municipal Corporation. Some rural areas of South Rourkela are managed by the Jalda Panchayat.Rourkela Municipal Corporation was declared as Municipal Corporation in November 2014. The civic body that governs the overall large section of Rourkela and look after the civic and infrastructural needs of the citizens.
Rourkela Development Authority was created by the Govt. of Odisha in the year 1995. The main objective of RDA is to undertake works pertaining to Construction of Housing Colony, Shopping Complex, Industrial Estate and to provide public amenities also undertake for Improvement & clearance of slums and re-development programmes in a planned manner.
Rourkela Smart City Limited city has been selected as smart city in the third phase of smart city list in September 2016. The objective is to promote city that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and apply ‘smart solutions'.
Central Water Commission has its sub-divisional headquarters near Panposh.

Demographics

According to the census report of 2011, Rourkela has a population of and the urban metropolitan area population is 536,450. Then railway station of Rourkela was within the revenue village of Mahulpali.
India census, Rourkela Metropolitan Area had a population of 536,450. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Rourkela has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5% male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 69%. In Rourkela, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Religion