Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation’s Rs 52 crore plans to beautify capital conservancy lanes

BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will spend Rs 52 crore to clean conservancy lanes across the city and make them a part of city’s beautification plan.“We have identified 75 km stretch of conservancy lanes for their development under the project which will be done in a phased manner,” said BMC commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange.

On a pilot basis, the civic body has cleaned some of the conservancy lanes of Unit VIII in ward no 47. The work will be expedited in other wards subsequently. Proposal in this regard has already received approval in the corporation meeting and tender process has also been completed, he said.

BMC officials said most of the planned residential areas including government quarters at Unit-I, II, VI, VIII as well as residential areas of Saheed Nagar, Satya Nagar have conservancy lanes.The lanes created to facilitate utility services and movement of utility vehicles, however, have turned into dump yards and breeding ground for mosquitoes. In many localities, the residents have also encroached the lands.

Though the civic body had initiated measures to clean these lanes seven years back, the drive faltered owing to lack of awareness and enforcement.The municipal commissioner said BMC will take strong measures to clean them up and turn them into recreational zones for the residents of the locality. From open gyms to library and sitting arrangements, all measures will be taken to improve these stretches, he said. Development of these stretches will also help tackle mosquito menace. Enforcement drive will soon start to remove encroachments.

Beautification plan

75 km stretch of conservancy lanes have been identified
Rs 52 crore to clean and develop them
Identified stretches to be converted into recreational zones
Sitting arrangements, open gym, library among other facilities