The Odisha government has asked Koraput district administration to identify a single patch of 310 acre near the existing airstrip at Jeypore in the district to upgrade it into an airport. In a letter sent to the district administration recently, the government said the required land should be without any natural barrier for further expansion of the project and have good road communication.
The government has accepted the pre-feasibility study report, submitted by the technical team of Airports Authority of India (AAI) on the project. The report was prepared based on the AAI team’s visit to the area on January 15, said a government officer. Koraput Collector Sachin R Yadav said that he will take necessary steps according to the government’s directive.
The existing airstrip became functional in 1962 at the time of inception of Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) at Sunabeda. It is spread over 60 acre and located at a height of over 800 metre above sea level. It is used only during VVIP visits.
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