SAMBALPUR: The development work of water body adjoining the historical Mandhata Baba temple in Maneswar area of the city will be completed soon. Informing this, Assistant Engineer of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC), Pranabananda Sahu, who is supervising the development work, said almost all the development work, including desiltation of the tank, construction of toe wall, walking track along the tank, construction of concrete benches and installation of playing equipment for children on the embankment of the water body have already been completed.
This apart, work on an island for the turtles to lay eggs has been completed. However, work on an observatory tower, which will allow the visitors to walk inside the water body and witness the turtles, is going on in full swing and the work will be completed by December 15, he said. The estimated cost of the development work, including renovation and beautification of the water body, is `60 lakh.
The 16th century temple of Lord Shiva, better known as Mandhata Baba temple, was constructed by the first King of Sambalpur Balaram Dev. Turtles are the major attraction of the tank spread over an area of more than one and a half acres. It is a unique example of turtle conservation.
The devotees and visitors, who come to the temple, generally go to the water body to witness the turtles. At least 54 turtles, which were in the temple tank, were taken out of it for the renovation work. The SMC had developed a small tank near the temple tank to keep the turtles there when the desiltation work of water body began. The turtles have already been brought back to their original abode.
The Municipal Corporation had set a target to complete the development work of the water body by April this year. The dewatering and desiltation work of the water body had already been completed before the onset of monsoon last year. However, the work was delayed due to delay in construction of toe wall on three sides of the water body. Sahu said the contractor could not carry out the toe wall during monsoon last year. The toe wall work was completed in February this year and subsequently, other developmental works were undertaken.