Bhubaneswar, Feb. 17: Madhusudan Park at Pokhariput is set to have better facilities to draw more visitors.

The Bhubaneswar Development Authority, which manages the park, will take up the work within a month and plans to throw it open to the public before monsoon. The authority would spend around Rs 50 lakh to renovate the park.

Vice-chairman of the authority Krishan Kumar visited Pokhariput and adjacent areas (ward No. 62) to update himself about the civic problems and facilities that need to be upgraded.

The health officer of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, local councillor and senior authority officials accompanied Kumar.

The Telegraph in the past has published reports on facilities available in city parks. On September 4, 2013, the newspaper published a report titled 'Unkempt park loses patrons' to narrate the park's plight. The park remains open from 4am to 9am and again from 4pm to 8pm.

Horticulturist of the development authority Ashok N. Dhar said: 'At present, the park is having a walking track which is not tiled. According to the new plan, it will be covered with anti-skid tiles. On the other hand, just opposite to the existing track towards the Gandamunda-end, a new jogging track will be built exclusively for joggers and runners.'

While the lights along the walking tracks are lying damaged or have been vandalised, the park authorities will install new lights for better safety of the visitors, especially women.

A portion of the park near the airport boundary will be converted into a rainwater harvesting structure to recharge the ground water and help trees grow better.

Nrupa Kishore Patnaik, a member of the residents' committee on park development, said: 'We submitted a detailed plan to the park authorities two months ago, and welcome the decision to add new jogging track. It will attract more visitors to the park.'

Niharika Nanda, a morning walker and regular visitor to the park, said: 'The rides for children's play area in the park are lying almost all damaged. The authorities should take urgent steps to repair them.'

The horticulturist also promised that steps would be taken to repair all the rides in the children's play area.

The civic body officials have suggested inclusion of a parking lot near the park to avoid congestion on the Pokhariput-Khandagiri road during morning and evening hours.

'We are also doing a survey to accommodate a space for vehicular parking,' said an official.