To present a better, beautiful, greener and smarter Bhubaneswar for the coming Asian Athletics Meet at the renovated Sports Complex of the Kalinga Stadium here, the city authorities have decided to undertake major initiatives to beautify the city.
During the international event between July 6 and 9, over 800 athletes and officials from 45 nations would come to the city to represent their countries.
The initiatives will include a beautification drive along five major city roads, implementation of a fine of Rs 6,500 per tractor-load of debris on any agency or individual piling construction and debris (C&D waste), colouring and repairing of streetlights along the above major roads, wall painting and beautification of road underpass near city flyovers, plantation drive, setting up smart traffic signalling systems along the Kalinga Stadium route, removal of unwanted roadside signage defacing the cityscape, ensuring mechanical sweeping and beautification of bus stops along the five roads.
The five major roads include Janpath (Sishu Bhawan to Vani Vihar), Sachivalaya Marg till Kalinga Hospital Square, Governor’s House to KIIT Square, Kalpana Square to Gopabandhu Square via Governor’s House Square and Cuttack Road (Museum Square to Samantarapur Square).
The five roads will have new wall paintings along their walls to change the ambience of the city for the game. The streetlight posts will be screened for their luminous index (lUX) so that all lights will have equal illuminating effects on the road. There will be not a single fuse light on any pole as instructed by Municipal Commissioner Dr Krishan Kumar.
Officials of the city authorities met on Thursday at the BMC office for the purpose. Dr Kumar asked the Zonal Deputy Commissioners (ZDCs) and other officials concerned to start removing the unnecessary and jarring direction signage along roads and streets to give better aesthetics to all roads before the games.
The ZDCs would ensure slapping of a fine of Rs 6,500 per tractor-load of C&D wastes out of which Rs 1,500 would be transportation charge and Rs 5,000 would be administrative charges.
“The BMC would not tolerate to see even one kg of C&D waste along roads and the road owning responsibilities would also be assigned on various agencies concerned so that the agencies will bring to notice the piling of garbage to make the BMC work easier and quicker,” the Municipal Commissioner said.
While the paintings of the road underpass near the Rajmahal flyover are already in progress, two other locations, Jayadev Vihar and Acharya Vihar, will be taken up very soon.