Bhubaneswar, May 11: The state capital will get 14 new parks and 38 drinking water supply projects under the Atal mission for rejuvenation and urban transformation (Amrut) scheme.

The projects will be executed in the next five years.

Moreover, three existing parks will be renovated in this financial year.

The housing and urban development department recently submitted the action plan for the proposed projects, which got the final nod of the Union ministry of urban development. The administration will spend Rs 5.4 crore for the parks, while Rs 121.16 crore will be spent on the water supply projects.

Sources in the civic body said that nearly 4.89 acres had been earmarked for the construction of the proposed parks in the city.

The three parks that would be developed are Sailashree Vihar, Niladri Vihar and Kanan Vihar. The state government will spend Rs 51 lakh, Rs 32 lakh and Rs 52 lakh respectively on these parks.

Earlier, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) had proposed to develop four parks under Amrut this year, but the number was later reduced to three with the technical committee of the housing and urban development department cancelling the park proposed in Dumduma. The park in Dumduma will come up in the next financial year at a revised cost of Rs 10 lakh instead of the Rs 6 lakh proposed earlier.

"Our aim is to provide various facilities to the people. The proposed parks will not only help create more green space in the city, but will also cater to the needs of the residents who wish to stay close to the nature," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

The city administration will also execute 38 drinking water projects in the city this year that will mainly cover the uncovered slum areas.

At present, half the population in the 34 of the 67 municipal wards in the city does not have full access to piped water supply.

The Public Health Engineering Organisation (Pheo) has also come up with a master plan for water supply in the city where it proposes to increase the per capita consumption of water to 155 litres per day. The Pheo will execute water supply projects proposed under the Amrut in the city.

City-based environmentalist Sailabala Padhi said that this was a good initiative of the administration to develop more parks, which would help increase the city's green cover.

"The drinking water projects will also help people to have access to safe drinking water," Padhi said.