Astaranga is a fishing and agricultural village and a community development block in Puri district in the Indian state of Odisha. It was a part of 'Lavana Satyagraha' (Salt March), a nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India led by Mahatma Gandhi. It is a major exporter of betel leaves, mainly to North India and other countries. The most visited tourist place, known as Pir Jahania, is situated at the shore of Bay of Bengal. Casuarina trees are planted in a vast area to give shades to the tourists.[citation needed] Astaranga also has two other picnic spots like Ganga Devi muhana & Nuagarh jethi. The government has planned for a marine drive road along the seashore.[citation needed] In Astaranga, there is a nodal primary school above a century old, a high school above 50 years old whose first headmaster was 'Sarala puraskar' winner for his poetry Kulamani Swain, a Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir, Anganbadi for small children and three CBSE schools.[citation needed]
Astaranga | |
---|---|
Village | |
Coordinates: 19°58′46″N 86°16′10″E / 19.9794794°N 86.2693691°E | |
Country | India |
State | Odisha |
District | Puri |
Government | |
• Type | Odisha government |
Elevation | 8 m (26 ft) |
Languages | |
• Official | Odia |
Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
Vehicle registration | OD |
Website | odisha |
Etymology
editAstranga means 'colors of setting Sun'.[1]
Geography
editAstaranga is located at 19°58′46″N 86°16′10″E / 19.9794794°N 86.2693691°E. It is near the mouth of the Devi River. It is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) east of Puri and lies on the Bay of Bengal coast. It is about 19 kilometres (12 mi) from Konark.[2]
Economy
editPort
editHyderabad-based Navayuga Engineering Co. is planning to construct a Rs. 6 billion port at Astaranga. The company will implement the port project near the Devi River in three phases on a build- own-operate-share-transfer basis, with an investment of Rs. 1.50 billion in the first phase. The second and third phase of the project will comprise Rs. 2 billion and Rs. 2.50 billion, respectively.[3] Astaranga is one of the four new ports being set up on the Odisha coast. Nineteen sites for ports have been identified on the Odisha coast. Navayug Engineering Company Limited submitted techno-feasibility report with the State government for setting up port at Astaranga in Puri district. It approached East Coast Railway to extend the project a rail link.[4]
The Odisha government has relaxed a vital clause in its MoU with the Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL) enabling the latter to sign a concession agreement with it for developing an all weather port at Astaranga.[5]
Power plant
editAstaranga Power Company Ltd signed a MoU with Government of Odisha in 2009 for setting up a power plant at Astaranga. It intends to establish a 2,640MW thermal power plant in two phases.[6][needs update]
Steel plant
editNavayuga Engineering Company Limited is interested in setting up a port-based steel facility, preferably at Astaranga.[7][needs update]
References
edit- ^ "Astaranga Beach". india9. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
- ^ "Astaranga". india9. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
- ^ "Navayuga Engineering plans port in Odisha". Retrieved 9 June 2010.
- ^ "Four private ports coming up in State". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 20 June 2009. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
- ^ "Navayuga gets MoU clause waiver for Astaranga port". Business Standard, 10 December 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
- ^ "Eight firms pledge power". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph. 8 February 2009. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
- ^ "Navayuga group to set up 12 million tonne steel plant at Astaranga". orissadiary.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2010.