The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and the Bhubaneswar Smart City limited (BSCl) are developing three parks in the city as ‘Smart Parks’ as part of the Smart City initiative.
These parks will be incorporated with child-friendly and social landscape features, as well as technological features such as water ATMs, Wi-Fi and informative variable signage systems, to connect the local communities with the open spaces in the city.
The parks shall be universally inclusive for all, and promoted as learning and recreational centres, with features like children’s play area, e-toilets, splash parks, open gyms, watch towers, butterfly parks, sensory gardens and a half-basketball court.
The initial parks chosen are three parks in the Sahid Nagar region, namely the park district near Bhawani Mall, BDA-OMC Park and a small community garden near the Sparsh Hospital.
local councillor Saswati Mishra of Ward No. 30 said the first Smart District or the Bhubaneswar Town Centre District (BTCD) will have child-friendly Smart Parks and they will be helpful with their various engagement-centric planning by the architects and engineers.
“The work started last evening near Khanduali Temple (Old Robot Park) in my ward in Saheed Nagar and I hope that once the project is through and completed, the residents and especially kids, will be benefited,’’ she added.