Bhograi Heliport

Military Decommissioning. The airfield was built for temporary wartime use during World War II. With the end of the war, the strategic need for the base ceased, and it was abandoned by the Allied forces.

The site is currently abandoned and in a state of ruin. The original runway and taxiways are still visible on satellite imagery but are heavily deteriorated, overgrown with vegetation, and bisected by local roads. The land is partially used by local villagers for agriculture, cattle grazing, and as a public space. There is significant encroachment and unauthorized soil excavation on the site.

The facility, historically known as Amarda Road Airstrip or Rasgovindpur Airstrip, was one of the largest airbases in Asia during World War II. Constructed by the British, it served as a crucial forward operating base for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during the Burma Campaign. Its extensive runway, over 2.5 km long, was designed to handle heavy bombers like the B-24 Liberator and B-29 Superfortress for long-range missions. The designation 'Bhograi Heliport' and ICAO 'IN-0340' are likely later, unofficial identifiers for the vast, abandoned site, which was never a formal heliport in its operational history.

There are active plans to redevelop the airstrip. The Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), intends to develop it into a modern domestic airport to boost regional connectivity, tourism, and serve strategic interests like the nearby DRDO Integrated Test Range. The project has been included under the central government's UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme. Official surveys have been completed, and the state government has initiated the process for land acquisition and clearing encroachments. However, a definitive timeline for construction and reopening has not yet been announced.