Bhubaneswar, November 22: Clearing a major bottleneck on the progress of the Smart Janpath project near Master Canteen Square here, one squad each of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL), Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) respectively, demolished the structures around the Tarini temple. Only the original structure of the deity under the banyan tree was left untouched as a legal battle is still pending relating to it.
It can be mentioned here that on an earlier occasion a portion of the temple and the encroached areas in front of Jajati Hotel were cleared by the city authorities by a joint action. Through today’s action the minor religious structures near Tarini Temple, the cemented floor and other structures measuring approximately 5,000 square feet area, was cleared from encroachment.
The work on the Smart Janpath has taken a dynamic pace under the leadership of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited Sanjay Kumar Singh and the long-pending issues delaying its progress are gradually getting addressed. To mention some of the major successful steps, the eviction of a vending zone near Ram Mandir Square, encroachments along the road connecting Station and Master Canteen and the solution to the iconic statue representing Konark’s warrior and horse were amicably solved with stakeholders’ participation.
There will be pedestrian way, paver blocks, buffer plantation and place making and adequate lighting system to provide the entire zone a different look on the reclaimed land. The most important thing about the entire exercise would be, however, not a single tree will be felled in the process as the Smart City has kept its green and clean city concept on the forefront. The existing trees will also be given adequate lighting effects to make the place a new landmark along Smart Janpath.
The open space in front of Jajati Hotel adjoining the temple near the Master Canteen Junction will also help the people coming to city to take part in different gatherings, thus creating fewer crowds on the busy Janpath Marg. With development of the open space near the I Love Bhubaneswar Plaza, people would also get enough space to relax and enjoy their stay along the Smart Janpath as it has become an ideal hangout zone for the city youth, kids and elderly during the evening hours. Already the Ekamra Kshetra Plaza, I Love Bhubaneswar Plaza and the Temple Plaza near Ram Mandir are attracting crowds of all age groups.
Smart Janpath envisaged as the People’s Smart Path. It is a dedicated corridor for pedestrians, cyclists, underground utilities, etc. and the entire stretch shall have active public plazas, proper crossings on the junctions, street furniture and dedicated vending zones.
The redevelopment of Janpath Road under the Smart Janpath plan includes streetscape design, beautification, landscaping, intersection redesign, and infrastructure upgrades with construction of new pavement, rehabilitation of existing pavement, construction and/or rehabilitation of existing structures. The project cost is Rs 79.56 crore.
