Odisha's coastal highway project faces significant delay due to land acquisition disputes

The proposed coastal highway across Odisha is facing significant hurdles, with land acquisition disputes threatening to delay the project. This infrastructure venture, designed to boost connectivity along the state's coastline, envisages a four-lane, access-controlled greenfield road stretching through key districts such as Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, and Balasore—a route extending into East Medinipur in West Bengal.

The highway is set to cover an approximate length of 163.2 km, with the initial phase connecting Rameswar on NH-16 in Khurda to Ratanpur in Kendrapara, crossing through 134 villages across four districts. To facilitate the project, authorities must acquire 768.82 hectares of land. The project is structured under a Design, Build, Operate, and Transfer (DBOT) hybrid annuity model.

The required land comprises 113.6 hectares of government land, 15.28 hectares of forest land, and 639.97 hectares of privately owned land. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has reportedly yet to secure over 250 hectares situated in 53 villages of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapara, stymieing the project's advance.

Specifically, Gop tehsil has not provided land particulars for 21 out of 24 villages, while Erasama tehsil has withheld details for all 15 villages earmarked for the project. Similarly, land specifics for nine villages in Mahakalapara tehsil, four in Kujang and two each in Kakatpur, Brahmagiri, and Pattamundai are pending.

The blueprint for the highway includes building approximately 25 major bridges, 87 minor bridges, 334 culverts, 43 large vehicular underpasses, 44 smaller underpasses, four rail overbridges, two interchange structures, and four flyovers. The construction could potentially affect 20,074 individuals across 4,364 families, with around 228 structures impacted by the project alignment.

An estimated budget of Rs 700 crore has been reserved for acquiring land and for the rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced families. For the first phase, NHAI has unveiled tenders divided into four packages, costing roughly Rs 7,040 crore. Plans and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) are underway for a second phase extending from Ratanpur to Digha.