Currently, India’s railway infrastructure is undergoing some major revamping, with several projects that are being initiated for upgrading connectivity across the nation. In fact, one of the major developments is the Khurda Road-Balangir railway line project in Odisha, which has finally received stage-II forest clearance. Now over this critical hurdle, it has set the stage on its course to be continued in the seamless connection of the eastern and western parts of the state.
Overview of the Khurda Road-Balangir Railway Line Project
Khurda Road-Balangir railway line project is one of the major flagship projects envisaged for the improvement of regional connectivity in Odisha. This stretch stands at 301 km, connecting eastern and western Odisha through key districts like Nayagarh, Boudh, and Subarnapur. This would be the shortest rail link from Khurda to Balangir once it is completed and will gain advantage for the local economies, trade, and service delivery. First cleared in 1994-95. On account of reasons associated with land acquisition, this sector has slow progress.
Stage-II Forest Clearance: Major Obstacle Crossed
Probably, the most challenging task was getting forest clearance for the stretch crossing through the Eastern Ghats. The Daspalla-Nayagarh to Purunakatak-Boudh 68 km stretch passed through sensitive areas with 594.6 hectares of forest land and hence remained a bottleneck. This involved substantial work in following up on the due dates set forth in the directions issued from the Supreme Court for the fulfillment of the conditions, on 13 January 2025 stage-II forest clearance was granted.
Stage-I clearances for the forest were allowed in February 2023 and with stage-II approvals ready, this project can be sanctioned for construction work. Proper consultations and planning in the process have been followed to ensure least degradation of environment, more of the wildlife as much as it is possible to do.
Land Acquisition and Environmental Protection Measures
This line project is to occupy 3,274.3 hectares of land, out of which 746.4 hectares already stands as forest. Be it any obstacle, ECoR has put in diligent efforts to rectify all kinds of environmental impacts so that there should not be any undue harm to the ecological balance in that region. The following key steps have been taken to alleviate concerns regarding the protection of the ecosystem and the wildlife:
Wildlife Conservation Plans: Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Odisha approved the comprehensive wildlife conservation plan; said plan provided concrete steps for a reduction in the impacts on local fauna by the project.
Engineering Solutions: At places, the railway line is planned to be made avoiding critical habitats for wildlife, thereby including Mahanadi Wildlife Sanctuary. There is a solution for engineering which helps in not much felling of trees, rather reducing the impact of degradation due to such habitats.
Animal Crossings: There are underpasses as well as overpasses along with the viaducts to facilitate animal free ranging movement across the railway. It reduces the level of conflict with humans.
Engineering Solutions in Mitigating Adverse Environmental Impacts
The following are the involved engineering solutions that help reduce negative effects on the environment:
Construction of Seven Tunnels: This shall encompass the construction of 12.7km of tunnels which save forest land and is less cumbersome to build and maintain ecosystem.
Viaducts: Here, another 4.8-km-long viaduct is also constructed so that the Brutang reservoir does not get dislocated. Thus, during the laying of the railway line, the reservoir has been kept intact.
Benefits of Khurda Road-Balangir Railway Line
The completion of Khurda Road-Balangir railway will bring Odisha many advantages that are:
Connectivity: A decrease in travel time between the east and west sides of Odisha makes regional connectivity great.
Economic Growth: Good infrastructures help facilitate local trade and attract investment that creates opportunities to employ more citizens of that particular region.
Sustainable Development: With proper planning, along with environment-friendly measures followed by the project, it goes very well with the sustainable infrastructure developed by India.
Conclusion
The Khurda Road-Balangir railway line project would be a significant step toward improvement in connectivity as well as the economic development of Odisha. Its successful stage-II forest clearance coupled with the practices of sustainability are going to shape the future for the region. By focusing on development and environmental preservation, India proved that massive infrastructure projects can indeed be done responsibly, with a long-term benefit to people and the planet.
It will be interesting to see how the combination of technology, engineering, and care for the environment sets a new standard for infrastructures in the country as this project continues.
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