The Khurda Road-Balangir new rail line project, spanning 301 km and connecting eastern and western Odisha, has cleared its final hurdle with Stage-II forest clearance granted on 13 January, 2025.

The project required 3,274.3 hectares of land, including 746.4 hectares of forest land, with a significant challenge in acquiring clearance for the 68-km stretch between Daspalla and Purunakatak. This section, crossing the Eastern Ghats, involved 594.6 hectares of forest land, posing a major bottleneck.

Sanctioned in 1994-95, the project aims to provide the shortest rail link between Khurda and Balangir while boosting connectivity for Nayagarh, Boudh, and Subarnapur districts. The East Coast Railway (ECoR) reported extensive efforts to comply with environmental guidelines and ensure wildlife protection, including consultations with the forest department. Key measures included alignment adjustments to avoid the Mahanadi wildlife sanctuary and Brutang river, construction of viaducts, and animal underpasses.

Additionally, seven tunnels totaling 12.7 km and a 4.8-km viaduct for the Brutang reservoir are being constructed to preserve the forest ecosystem.