The airstrip at Amarda in Mayurbhanj. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, July 6: A forgotten airstrip built at Amarda in Mayurbhanj district during the World War II will become operational once again within the year, nearly 70 years after it was last used.

The state government plans to renovate the airstrip to enable relief materials to be flown to Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts in case of natural disasters. These two districts have been badly hit by floods in the past two years, and the government has found it difficult to reach relief materials there.

“The airstrip has a long runway built during the World War II. But it is not in operational condition. If repaired, it can be used to provide relief materials during natural calamities. We have decided to make it operational in 2013-14,” said the joint secretary of the general administration department, Premananda Khuntia.

An official source said the runway was initially about 2km long. Part of a wartime airfield, the airstrip was built in 1940 by the Royal Air Force (RAF) of the British government with an investment of Rs 3 crore on an area of 600 acres. Functional till the end of World War II, three squadrons of the RAF used it as their base.

“Large choppers and medium-lift transport aircraft carrying relief materials can land on the airstrip if it is made operational. As it is on the Mayurbhanj-Balasore border, it will be of immense help to the government to drop relief materials to marooned village in those two districts during floods,” a source said.

In the past, the state government has faced difficulty in sending relief materials to Balasore and Mayurbhanj during floods. “However, if the airstrip is developed, sending relief materials from the airport in Bhubaneswar would become easier as it is only 117 nautical miles from there,” said the source.

The airport belongs to the ministry of defence. “Originally, the airstrip belonged to the Odisha government. We will take up the issue with the ministry of defence after preliminary assessment of the condition of the airstrip has been completed. We also hope that they will have no problem if we use it during natural calamities or for any VIP movement,” said Khuntia.

The government has asked the Mayurbhanj district collector to file a report on the area, length and width of the runway and its present condition besides a cost estimate for repair of the airstrip. “We have also asked if there is any encroachment on the airstrip as it has not been used for the past 70-odd years,” said an official.

“Once we get the order, we will take steps to prepare the report,” said Mayurbhanj district collector Rajesh Pravakar Patil.

Tehsildar of Rasgovindpur, under which the airstrip falls, Ashok Kumar Panda said: “The airstrip is located on an area of about 100 acres and is free from encroachment barring a few places. We can free it of encroachments. If it becomes operational, it will be of great help to the common people during emergencies.”

Although no slums have come up on the airstrip, it has been covered by undergrowth. The concrete roads, too, are in a dilapidated condition.

At present, Odisha has 16 airstrips. The ones at Jharsuguda, Rourkela and Rangeilunda near Berhampur are now operational. In Jharsuguda, the Airports Authority of India plans to build an airport in two years in collaboration with the state government. “The Jharsuguda airport in western Odisha is nearing completion. Around 16 airstrips will come up shortly across the state. We are earmarking a budgetary provision for this,” said an official.

On June 28, the Prime Minister’s Office cleared a proposal for construction of low-cost airports at Rourkela, Berhampur and Keonjhar. There is also a non-functional airstrip near Keonjhar on the NH-215.