Paradip: The first goods train service from Haridaspur to the port town of Paradip— covering Jajpur, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur districts—is likely to roll out in August this year. The train will cover 82 kilometres.
Addressing a press meet, Jagatsinghpur Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra said, “The goods train service on the Paradip-Haridaspur railway line will start from August, 2020.”
“The goods train will run between the mineral belt of the state and the port town; significantly reducing the pollution level which is presently experienced due to transportation of minerals by multiple trucks on the route,” added Mohapatra.
Last Friday, Mohapatra conducted a review meeting with all the officials regarding the increased pollution in Paradip city and the factors contributing to it. After the discussion, it was concluded that it was the transportation of minerals by trucks on the roads which is significantly hurting the environment.
“To reduce the traffic of goods trucks within the city area, a flyover bridge will be constructed from Atharabanki of Paradip port to Dochhaki and the tender process of the project has been started,” added Mohapatra.
“After the train services start on Paradip-Haridaspur railway line from August, we expect the number of goods truck to reduce and so, does the pollution level in the vicinity,” said Mohapatra.
When asked about the future of nearly 10,000 trucks engaged in mineral transport service in Paradip, the Collector replied, “As the industrial sector is booming in Paradip, truck owners may find alternative businesses.”
Notably, there has been a lot of controversy over the truck owners’ associations’ unions in Paradip over the years. It is alleged that the owners of the trucks are exploiting many of the transport companies by setting up higher freight rates.
Following such inconvenience by the truck owners, one such major transport company stopped transporting goods by truck in 2014 and transported it by train.
Locals apprehend that transporting goods by trains could be negative for the truck business, which may encourage the truck-owners’ association to protest.
Managing director of Haridaspur-Paradip railway line project Prasant Kumar Mishra has said around 95 per cent work has been completed and the rest will be over by March. “Signboards and telecommunication systems have been installed and work on level crossing completed.” As many as 31 bridges and 171 minor bridges have been constructed over rivers, canals and other water bodies for the project.
The project, sanctioned in 1996-97, aims to facilitate movement of freight, export of finished products of steel plants and imported coking coal from Paradip to industries. The Kalinga Nagar industrial hub along with the mining belts of Jajpur and Keonjhar districts will be direct users of the railway line.
The then Union Railway Minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation stone of the project near Marshaghai in the district April 4, 1999 and promised to complete it by 2004. In November last year, the state government had directed officials concerned to complete the project within the extended deadline of March, 2020.
PNN