Bhubaneswar, Sept. 19: To get the city ready for Durga Puja and Dusherra, the municipal corporation today decided to provide Rs 5 lakh to each of the 67 wards.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has asked its councillors to spend Rs 3 lakh to repair roads and the remaining funds to maintain drains, which includes covering them with slabs.

Earlier, the councillors used to get Rs 3 lakh for the purpose.

The civic body has also formed a team of senior officials to monitor sanitary activities mainly in and around Puja pandals.

"The team will visit the pandals every day to keep an eye on cleanliness. They will coordinate with the sanitary inspectors for the purpose. They will also ensure that drains near the pandals are covered with slabs," said municipal commissioner Krishan Kumar.

The councillors have welcomed the initiative of the municipal corporation.

"The money has been given for undertaking development work in the wards, but some Puja committees think that it's for them and start demanding donations. I hope they understand the money is meant for the people and would also help keep the pandals neat and clean," said ward No. 36 councillor Naren Sahoo.

The civic body has also put its electrical wing on the alert to check, repair and install street lights across the city. The works department, the drainage division and the public health engineering organisation have also been requested to work in coordination with the civic body.

Ward No. 31 councillor Kumarendra Mohapatra said that he would talk to the people to know their needs and undertake repairs where necessary.

"The Durga Puja at Bomikhal is the biggest in my area. The railway overbridge construction near the pandal could impede the movement of the people in the area. The works department will ensure alternative measures there," said Mohapatra.

Rasulgarh resident Harapriya Baliyarsingh said the move of the civic body was timely as it came much before the beginning of the festive season.

"It is a good decision of the municipal corporation to make necessary repairs in roads and drains before the Puja. People flood the streets during the Puja and civic problems should be addressed before festivities begin," said Baliyarsingh.

Besides, the civic body will also dig up temporary ponds for the immersion of idols in an eco-friendly way. "We have four such temporary ponds ready for the immersion of idols. The move aims to avoid pollution in the rivers where Puja committees used to immerse the idols," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

Among other major decisions at today's meeting, steps would be taken to make all the 40 water ATMs functional by January next year.

At present, the city has four water ATMs in different areas.

"We have asked our private partner in the project to construct water purification plants and install the remaining 36 water ATMs by next January," the mayor said.