Beautification of city water bodies will reach another level as the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) plans to introduce a ‘floating island’ at Telibandha Talaab, said an official.
The island will be mainly made of wood and concrete and it will remain afloat even having 150 people on board. The floating island will come up at a cost of Rs1.5 crore and will have a food court, said Chief Executive Officer Rajesh Sharma. The idea, which has been inspired from similar projects in Australia, was floated by RMC Commissioner Awanish Kumar Sharan around a month ago, said Sharma.The project is in its planning level and is expected to see the light of the day in 2015.The project will be one of its kind in the entire country. The work related to its development will begin after the elections, he informed.
Explaining about the project, Sharma said that the state capital does not have any noteworthy point of scenic or manmade beauty. Because need for the same was being felt for quite some time now, the ‘floating island’ project received a unanimous nod from the civic officials.
Over the past couple of months, the civic body has spent generously on beautification projects in the city with a special focus on ponds. Decorative lights, sitting arrangements and pavements have come up around the Telibandha Talaab in the past few months and similar projects are on-going in other ponds of the city, too.
Intensive cleaning drive was also held for Kankali Talaab in the city.Boodha Talaab in the city has also an island like space in the middle of the big pond, where a huge statue of Swami Vivekanand is installed. Though no recreational platform has been developed there, plantation makes the spot pleasant. the pond historically Known as Boodha Talaab is now named as Swami Vivekanad Sarovar. Despite several attempts to contact The Mother Teresa Ward Corporator to inquire about the aforementioned Telibandha Talaab project, Rekha Ramteke could not be contacted.