Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to build 50 mini parks for green cover

BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to build 50 mini parks in different wards to add to the city’s green cover and create more playing and recreational spaces for children, youths and elderly.
Each park, which will be developed under the Mukhyamantri Karma Tatpara Abhiyan (Mukta), will spread over less than half an acrea. The three zones of BMC will have an almost equal number of mini parks. At present, the city has 77 colony (neighbourhood) and 64 big parks.
BMC officials said each mini park will have a yoga podium besides jogging track, drinking water, toilets, benches and exclusive children’s play area. “There will be drift irrigation facility for watering the plants. There will be open gym equipment for adults. Corporators and ward officers will look for suitable space in different wards for the purpose,” said a BMC officer. Officials said six years ago, the city had around 60 parks. The BMC and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) together managed the parks.
“Now, the city has 141 parks. With 50 more coming up, the total number of parks will be close to 200. We have planted shrubs and plants in a scientific way so that the green canopy is not affected much in case of a storm as the city is cyclone-prone,” a BMC officer said.
The green canopy over the years has made the city liveable. The big parks here are not just hangout zones but hubs for fitness freaks as open gyms provide them a platform to stay healthy.