Salia Sahi’s three-decade journey: How a small hamlet grew into a vast urban settlement in Bhubaneswar

Many across Odisha are intrigued by the question on how did Salia Sahi in the Capital city grow into such a vast settlement? When did the roads come up, and when did water supply start reaching the area?

As per sources, people have been living there for the past 30 years. Many had come to Bhubaneswar in search of work and found shelter in Salia Sahi. Gradually, as more people arrived, encroachments began to increase, and the settlement expanded. Over time, the locality transformed into a large, densely populated neighbourhood where countless families built their lives piece by piece.

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"Initially, there were no houses in Salia Sahi. We stayed there by building thatched houses. We were bringing water by travelling five km distance and facing lots of problems in our daily chore. There were 20-22 houses in 1997. However, more than 3,000 houses were subsequently built. I have been staying here for the last 35 years. Houses were gradually built and people settled here gradually. Tigers and elephants were roaming here. However, they were not harming anybody. Salia Sahi has grown even more than Old Town area. During initial days, there was no theft here. However, theft and drug related cases increased alarmingly in recent times. We suffered a lot due to the demolition drive. Though I have got voter ID, I have not got any government facilities except ration," said an old resident of Salia Sahi.

"The people who had come to the area for construction work gradually settled in Salia Sahi by clearing the forest and building houses. Later, their family members also joined them. It was earlier a forest area," said another resident.