Bhubaneswar, April 9: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has decided to try something new — beautification through citizens’ participation.

Today, the capital city boasts of being the fifth cleanest in the country and is making its way to becoming one of the leaders in matters citizen participation. Bhubaneswar has become the first-ever city in India to adopt a city-level renewable energy and energy efficiency policy. This time, the civic body has come up with an effort to ensure recognition to the citizens who contributed towards the improvement of beautification around outside premises of their houses with application of renewable energy and energy efficiency at domestic level.

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is soon coming up with the new Nagar Bandhu scheme to identify and recognise the citizens contributing towards the beautification process through landscaping and plantation.

“It is an effort to turn Bhubaneswar into an energy efficient, green and clean city,” says BMC commissioner Aparajita Sarangi.

“The progress on partnership through involvement of various stakeholders in its development has become BMC’s motto,” she added.

The Nagar Bandhu will be selected through a rigorous selection process. The technical persons from Orissa Environment Society (OES) would select the target groups.

The jury would include representatives from ICLEI, Government for Sustainability and Orissa Environment Society to finalise the winners.

The jury would decide on the winners in consultation with the municipal commissioner. The OES would identify houses and business premises that have contributed towards the objectives of the scheme.

The scheme also envisages the contribution towards supplementation of energy consumption through renewable energy sources. A first draft of list of such individuals would be made, which would be scrutinised by the jury later to declare the final winner. The winners will be awarded with a memento and certificate on June 5, the World Environment Day.

“This will create a ripple effect towards the beautification, and adoption of renewable energy,” said Sarangi.