+- Odisha Development Forum - An Initiative from The Odisha Society of the Americas ()
+-- Forum: Metros, Cities, Towns, Special Districts & Villages (/forum-12.html)
+--- Forum: Greater Balasore-Baripada (/forum-129.html)
+---- Forum: Transportation Centers (/forum-264.html)
+---- Thread: Amarda Road (Rasgovindpur) Airport (/thread-342.html)
Amarda Road (Rasgovindpur) Airport - Chitta - 11-23-2022
The page https://odishadev.odishasociety.org/thread-341-post-494.html describes its current status. A key point to note is that its runway is 3,400 meters long. (In comparison, Bhubaneswar airport's runway length is 2,743 meters. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biju_Patnaik_Airport .)
Some pointers:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarda_Road_Airstrip
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fykwTi8mg-A&ab_channel=SahooFilms
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAnPB1s3Z-8&ab_channel=TuknaBhaiVlogs
RE: Amarda Road (Rasgovindpur) Airport - Chitta - 11-23-2022
The state government has now obtained clearance from the Ministry of Defense to make it a public airport. Following is excerpted from Swarajya magazine at https://swarajyamag.com/infrastructure/odisha-president-droupadi-murmus-home-district-to-get-airport-world-war-ii-era-airfield-at-rasgovindpur-to-be-revived.
Quote:Odisha: ... World War II-Era Airfield At Rasgovindpur To Be Revived
by V Bhagya Subhashini-Nov 23, 2022 05:17 PM +05:30 IST
... The Ministry of Defence (MoD) gave the state 'working clearance' on Tuesday (22 November) to build the airfield on 160.35 acres of land that belongs to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The state administration has been given permission by the Defence Ministry to reopen a World War II airstrip that is now inactive near Amarda Road in Rasgovindpur, around 45 kilometres from the Baripada (district headquarters of Mayurbhanj).
When fully operational, the airport would provide air access to northern Odisha, especially to popular tourist destinations like Simlipal National Park and Kuldiha Sanctuary, in addition to Chandipur and the Talsari Beach.
According to The Indian Express, the MoD was asked by the Naveen Patnaik-led administration to direct the DRDO to give a no-objection certificate so that the airfield may be revived for use in flights as part of the Center's regional connectivity programme - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN).
A compensation of Rs 26 crore is to be given by Odisha state government to the MoD. ...
The article at https://odishabytes.com/defence-ministry-grants-working-permission-for-development-of-amarda-airstrip-in-odishas-mayurbhanj/ has more details.
The Hindu article at https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/decks-cleared-for-development-of-world-war-ii-era-airstrip-into-an-airport-in-odisha/article66172615.ece has more clarity about the situation. Following is an excerpt:
Quote:The airstrip’s runway measuring 3.5 km is stated to be the longest runway in Asia
The airstrip is sprawled over 900 acres of land.
During a land survey by the technical committee, it was found that 160 acres of land belonged to DRDO.
“The Ministry of Defence on Tuesday conveyed the sanction of the President of India for grant of working permission to State Government of Odisha on defence land admeasuring 160.35 acres at Amarda Road in the District of Mayurbhanj for development of Airstrip at Rasgovindpur near Amarda Road in Mayurbhanj District, Odisha on the basis of cash compensation amounting to ₹26.03 crores in lieu of defence land,” stated an MoD letter issued on November 22.
See also https://www.prameyanews.com/defence-ministry-accords-permission-for-development-of-amarda-road-airstrip/