Bhubaneswar: The civic body will conduct a survey of private bouquet halls across the city to check on the violations they have made in the building plan approval with special focus to parking space and related encroachment.

The issue came to the fore after several such facilities across the city started creating traffic chaos and generating waste during conduct of various events. It has led to the burden of civic authorities in management of solid waste and police in controlling traffic.

At present, such facilities, mainly those on the roadside, create problems when it comes to parking of the visitors' vehicles. Many such facilities do not provide parking space forcing the visitors to park cars on roadsides and in the process encroaching the road.

"The councillors had raised the issue, following which we decided to take the matter seriously. Our planning wing will survey the facilities and submit reports, following which actions will be taken against the violators," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

The decision was taken during the monthly council meet on Friday. Discussions were also held on taking steps to make the city free from open defecation by September. To get it done, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has given the nod to fine those found defecating in the open and the ward sanitation committees will take care of this.

A fine amount of Rs 50 will be levied from the violators per offence, if he or she is found defecating in the open. The mayor also announced that in order to make people aware about the new legislation on collection of penalty, awareness camps would be held across the city.

Besides, the Odisha Urban Infrastructure Development Fund on Friday allotted Rs 20 crore in favour of the civic body for conservation of various water bodies. Sources said the earlier agency taking care of the pond conservation would take up this new project.

The water bodies to be covered under this restoration or conservation plan will include the Ananta Vasudev Purohit Pond in ward No. 19, Ghagudi Pond in ward No. 23, Jagamara Barabari Pond in ward No. 63, Jhara Pokhari in ward No. 62, Namrakani Pond in ward No. 65, Taria Pond in ward No. 23 and the Nayapalli Haja in ward No. 37.

Municipal commissioner Krishan Kumar also briefed the meeting about the progress of various projects under the smart city mission. He said Bhubaneswar Operations Centre, which would be the central command control centre for all city-based operations, would be opened in a month.

He also informed that the public transport would see radical changes before the coming men's hockey world cup.