Gunupur: With the Centre planning to develop 100 airports by 2024 under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) infrastructure scheme, demand for revival of Ukamba airstrip in Gunupur of Rayagada district has gathered steam. It is claimed that the revival of the airstrip which is situated about 14km from Gunupur town will improve communication as well as trade and commerce facilities in the area and lead to its growth. It will also lead to the development and growth of the tourist sites in the district.
Locals have time and again demanded for the airstrip’s revival but their pleas are yet to be addressed. The nearest airport, which is in Jeypore of Koraput district, is about 194 km away from Ukamba airstrip while the Vishakhapatnam airport in Andhra Pradesh is about 221km away. The matter came to the fore after Satya Prakash Panda, president of FIET University in Gunupur wrote letters recently to state Commerce, Transport and Water Resources Minister Tukuni Sahu and Union Civil Aviation Secretary Usha Padhi demanding revival of the airstrip.
Reports said that Gunupur is a sub-division in the Rayagada district and the second-largest town after Rayagada. The Vamshadhara river flows by this town and many waterfalls and important tourist sites surround this area. This town is chiefly tribal-dominated and connected with Srikakulam district of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Various plants including medium-scale industrial plants, and educational institutions including GIET, a private university, are situated in Gunupur town. The presence of so many educational institutions as well as GIET University makes the revival of the airstrip a necessity, Panda said.
In his letter, Panda said that the airstrip was earlier being used for landing of aircraft of VVIPS like the chief minister and other dignitaries. A few years back, some local people had encroached upon the airstrip land and started using it for cultivation. However, the local administration had removed the encroachments and the available land can be used for the development and upgrading of the airstrip. Panda said that the aviation sector in the country is expanding at a fast rate and more pilots will be appointed in the future. There is also a need for trained engineers to repair the aircraft for which plans are afoot by GIET University to train the B.Tech students in aircraft repair. There is also a need of an airstrip to keep the courses running for which there is an urgent need for the revival of the Ukamba airstrip. Panda said that the airstrip can be made operational by flying small aircraft between BhubaneswarGunupur and Vishakhapatnam under the UDAN scheme.