BHUBANESWAR : In a significant development, the Odisha government has proposed the East Coast Railway (ECoR) to reconsider the alignment of the proposed Puri-Konark new railway line and explore alternatives to provide a scenic coastline view from the rail track to attract tourists.
This move comes as a huge surprise as it goes against the route approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The prime minister had approved the 32-km railway line, bypassing Balukhand reserve forest and the eco-sensitive zone last year. The project was sanctioned at an estimated cost of `492 crore.
The proposal to change the alignment was discussed at a review meeting chaired by development commissioner Anu Garg on September 23. As per the minutes of meeting (MoM) accessed by TNIE, the state government felt that minimal-impact designs could allow the railway to pass through the reserve forest area without significant ecological damage.
“Change the alignment and route the track through Balukhand reserve forest with minimum interference and align with the existing marine drive road,” read the MoM as one of the decisions taken at the meeting.
The ECoR was also told to continue with the proposed alignment plan of 32.02 km, starting from Puri and passing through the two stoppages up to Konark, bypassing Balukhand reserve forest till it is decided otherwise. Discussion was also held to construct a spur line stemming from the proposed line with specialised service train up to the marine drive along with options of putting up metro rail/monorail or cable car to further boost tourist connectivity between the two iconic heritage sites.
The DC emphasised the importance of linking heritage and eco-tourism hubs with new railway lines, citing the Puri-Konark project as a model for heritage-driven connectivity, with the proposed new route running along the coastline.
Since the upcoming Shree Jagannath International Airport (SJIA) at Puri will be located in Sipasarubali area, it was suggested that extension of railway connectivity from the existing Puri station up to the SJIA via Malatipatapur would help establish multi-modal connectivity to the airport.
Among other decisions, connectivity of Astaranga port to the proposed line between Bhubaneswar and Konark for which final location survey has been sanctioned recently will also be explored by the port authorities. As Puri station gets congested during the annual Rath Yatra, nearby stations like Konark and others could be developed along with ancillary facilities for leveraging as satellite stations/coaching depots for streamlining traffic flow and reducing operational constraints.
Briefing about the progress of the Puri-Konark new line in the meeting, ECoR general manager Parmeshwar Funkwal, however, cautioned that further modifications of the alignment that avoids Balukhand reserve forest and eco-sensitive zone could delay the project timeline.
