SAMBALPUR: The much-awaited toy train started chugging at Gourishankar Sahani Park, located along river Mahanadi on Ring Road here on Sunday evening.A Kolkata-based firm was entrusted to execute toy train project on the premises of the park, which belongs to Sambalpur Development Authority (SDA). A track of around 100 metres has been laid for running of the toy train. There are six coaches in the train and it will run on electricity. Each coach has sitting capacity of two children.
SDA chairman Bijay Mohanty said Rs 5 will be charged for the toy train ride. A staff will be engaged for the operation and management of the toy train, he said.Apart from the toy train, fitness equipment, decorative lights and fountain have been installed at the park at an estimated cost of Rs 52 lakh, he informed.
Mohanty said the SDA has also decided to carry out plantation work at the park shortly. The SDA has also decided to charge Rs 5 per person for entry into the park, he added.Prior to this, the SDA had installed playing equipment for children at an estimated cost of about Rs 8 lakh in the park besides undertaking construction of boundary wall, walking track, sitting arrangements and landscaping at an estimated cost of about Rs 40 lakh.
This apart, a two-storey building for Western Odisha Freedom Fighters Memorial Hall and Museum has also been constructed at a cost of Rs 1.05 crore, provided by the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC), on the park premises.The park was developed by the SDA in 2009 over an area of 1.28 acres of land.
However, the park was lying neglected since long and there was no visitor to the park. The park has started attracting visitors besides morning and evening walkers after make-over work was carried out in the park and it is expected that the toy train will attract more number of visitors.
The park is situated near Samaleswari Temple, the famous Shakti Pitha of the State. Thousands of tourists from across the State and neighbouring Chhattisgarh visit the temple and the park will be an attraction for the tourists also.