SAMBALPUR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi who celebrated Nuakhai in Sambalpur gave the town’s residents another reason to cheer by announcing that the much-awaited Mahanadi riverfront development project would be implemented soon.
In his address at the launch of CM Kisan Yojana here on Sunday, Majhi said, “Our government is giving priority to Sambalpur and entire western Odisha. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan had brought the riverfront development project to my notice and I visited the site where the project has been proposed. A provision has been made in the budget for the same.”
He further said, “After restoration of the artificial lake, ropeway will be installed and a park developed with boating facility at the site. I have already directed the concerned departments to take steps in this regard. I assure we have adequate funds for the project and it will materialise soon.”
The project was proposed by Pradhan in a letter to the chief minister in July this year. In the letter, Pradhan had proposed to develop the old Ayodhya Sarovar, an artificial lake created from the water of Mahanadi river near Sambalpur town under the ‘Riverfront Development Project’.
The Union minister had sought to preserve the spiritual heritage of Sambalpur, promote tourism for economic growth by utilising the natural beauty of the river while restoring the old Ayodhya Sagar, also called Ayodhya Sarovar, with the help of modern technology and developing it into a seven km long water body to increase the water capacity of the reservoir. Pradhan further highlighted that the sluice gates of the anicut built in the 60s to create the artificial lake has been rendered defunct and needs to be replaced.