Beautification work on in various areas of Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubneswar, Aug. 19: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority have expedited the city beautification drive with an eye on the Local Self-Governance Day on August 31.

The water fountain in front of Raj Bhavan was inaugurated today. New sculptures would be installed on the median between Acharya Vihar Square and Sainik School.

BK College of Arts has almost finished the job of redoing the wall painting between AG Square and Raj Bhavan Square. The walls were painted with a bewildering variety of motifs during 2008-2009. The civic body has also carried out plantation on the median between Vani Vihar and Master Canteen Square.

“We have been trying our best to give a new look to the city before the Local Self-Governance Day. The corporation will decide on the inauguration of the completed beautification project,” said a civic body official.

Earlier, the corporation had directed the kiosk owners of Odisha State Co-operative Milk Producers Federation Limited, Odisha State Poultry Products Co-operative Marketing Federation Limited and vending zones to repaint the shops before August 24. The civic body had threatened to cancel the trade licences of them, who would not comply.

The corporation had also planned to beautify the left pavement on the stretch from AG Square to Raj Bhavan with innovative wave pattern designs, which will also be installed at Ekamra Hat, Bhubaneswar railway station, Biju Patnaik Park and Indira Gandhi Park.

Beautification of both sides of the lane from 120 Battalion to KIIT Square is also proposed. The stretch in front of Mahatma Gandhi Park will be developed as a small neighbourhood park with swanky landscaping and signature artefacts. The beauty of the existing landscape between AG Square and Ekamra Chhak will be enhanced.

Residents, however, feel that the corporation should lay emphasis on the maintenance of these structures. “One can find leaflets pasted on the walls, which were painted with artistic motifs,” Bhargab Rath, a resident of VSS Nagar.

However, a civic body official said the corporation had initiated steps to revamp the old projects. “A number of private parties have approached us for the city beautification programme. But, we are more concerned about the maintenance of the existing structures. We are trying to rope in the private parties for effective maintenance,” said city engineer T.B.K Shroff.