The picturesque and modern twin towns of Rourkela and Fertilizer Township as well as their developed periphery are located in areas that were once covered by dense forests. Rourkela city came into prominence in the year 1955. According to the census report of 2011 the population of Rourkela City is 2,73,217 and the urban metropolitan area is 5.5 lakhs (approx). Then railway station of Rourkela was within the revenue village of Mahulpali.
When India obtained independence, a priority for the government was the industrialization of the country. A basic necessity was the production of iron and steel, and after a search for a suitable location, a steel plant was finally ear-marked in the Rourkela region. Thus, India's first public sector steel plant facility was established here with the help of German businesses Krupp & Demag
