Bhubaneswar: The famous Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha’s Kendrapada district is all set to get railway connectivity for which final location survey is now underway.
According to sources, the proposed Jajpur Road-Dhamra railway line has been designed to pass through two major tourist destinations of Bhitarkanika in Kendrapada district and Aradi in Bhadrak.
The proposed railway line will pass through Chhotaraipur, Rampur Segadi, Bahabalpur, Jajpur Town, Jaleswarpur, Saipura, Mangalpur, Aradi, Chandabali and Bhitarkanika stations.
The final location survey for the 95-km line, sanctioned at a cost of Rs 2.4 crore last year, is in progress from both ends. It is likely to be completed by March and the survey report will be submitted in April for approval, after which steps for the detailed project report and final nod will be taken.
Considered a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Purvoday’ vision, the railway line will connect important religious and tourist destinations in Jajpur, Bhadrak and Kendrapada districts. It will provide direct communication to Maa Biraja temple, one of the oldest Shakti peethas of the country, with the famous Shaivite shrine of Baba Akhandalamani at Aradi.
Sanctioned in 2012-13, field survey for the project was conducted by East Coast Railway (ECoR) to connect Dhamra port with Jajpur-Keonjhar Road.
The project had had remained a non-starter until Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw prioritised it. The rail line with a rate of return (ROR) of 27.43 per cent will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,042 crore.
Besides expanding economic activities of local industries and Dhamra port, the proposed rail line would meet the needs of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It will facilitate transportation of minerals from Sukinda valley, Keonjhar and Talcher along with industrial goods from Angul and Kalinganagar.
The proposed line will reduce the distance between Jajpur Road and Dhamra by 13 km and benefit 30 lakh people in three districts. When linked with rail line, the biodiversity site of Bhitarkanika national park will become a major attraction for tourists and nature lovers.
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