BHUBANESWAR: The bamboo fencing erected along the medians of Janpath road under Smart Janpath project by the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) is turning out to be a ‘not so smart’ move owing to poor upkeep.
In the absence of proper monitoring and upkeep, the bamboo poles of the fencing have been found removed or damaged at a number of places on the Master canteen - Rupali Square stretch to create unauthorised median crossings for the pedestrians. Moreover, this has increased the risk of road mishap on the busy stretch. All this has happened even before completion of the barricading project.
The project intended to reduce cost of fencing and improve the aesthetic appeal of the Smart Janpath, which the BSCL wants to develop as a green zone, is being implemented on Master Canteen-Vani Vihar stretch in the first phase.
The fencing work has been completed till Rupali square, while work is on in the remaining stretch up to Vani Vihar. Though it is being termed as a sustainable replacement to iron fencing, the project is not turning out to be so. BSCL officials couldn’t be reached for their comments on the matter.