By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The state-wide Vikas Dara, Odisha Sara program was organized by the Bhubaneswar Metropolitan Corporation (BMC) to celebrate its 2nd year on behalf of the state government. The state-wide urban public relations and citizen participation program, as part of the Vikas Dara, Odisha Sara program, was held at the Ekamra Hall at the BMC headquarters. Honorable Bhubaneswar Ekamra MLA Shri Babu Singh, Honorable Mayor Smt. Sulochana Das, Deputy Mayor Smt. Manjulata Kahur, BMC Commissioner Shri Chanchal Rana, Chairman of the Education and Culture Standing Committee Shri Ramachandra Ransingh, Chairman of the Works Standing Committee Shri Sridhar Behera, City Engineer Shri Praful Rait, and many corporates were present on the stage.
On this occasion, 30 prominent people who have done outstanding work in various fields, including Swachhkarmi, Swasthi vehicle drivers, residential organizations, large waste generators, individuals paying the highest holding tax, group organizers, Prime Minister’s Housing beneficiaries, roadside traders, senior citizens, have been felicitated. Similarly, today, the work orders for 14 development projects have been given by the Hon’ble Mayor on behalf of BMC.
The program was held at 6 locations in 3 zones of Bhubaneswar Metropolitan Corporation. More than 1000 people including all Zonal Commissioners, Local Corporators, Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, workers of local organizations, senior citizens etc. participated in it. Finally, everyone was directly connected through Avasi to the Odisha Sara, Vikas Kar Dara state level program held in Puri.
Hon’ble Ekamra MLA Shri Babu Singh has called for the participation of the citizens in the development policy of the state government. He said that the dream of a developed India of the esteemed Prime Minister and a developed Odisha of the esteemed Chief Minister will come true the day when the citizens will cooperate with the government wholeheartedly.
The sanitation system has been expanded to keep the metropolitan city clean, green and beautiful. Bhubaneswar is ranked 9th in the list of cleanest cities in the country. Waste-prone areas have been beautified. Waste is being processed scientifically. Mega TTS has been established in Palagandi.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed with Oil India Limited for the production of compressed biogas from waste. The work of setting up a compressed biogas plant at a cost of Rs 175 crore has already started. A total of 512 waste-prone areas in the city have been beautified by planting trees, drawing beautiful pictures, seating areas, and small parks have also been made in some places.
720 sanitation workers along with 42 women self-help groups are working to keep the city clean and beautify it. Tree planting work is ongoing to make Bhubaneswar green and beautiful. Tree planting work is going on at various places through the ‘A Tree for Mother’ program. More than 15 forests have been created in the city through the Miyawaki method. As a result, Bhubaneswar is at the 4th place in the clean air list. To make air pollution free even more effective, BMC has gone a step further and has now installed dust collectors on an experimental basis in Lingaraj Temple area and Chandrashekharpur area, and the ponds in BMC area have been renovated, said the Honorable Mayor.
Group toilets, e-toilets, etc. have been constructed in various crowded places, markets, settlements, etc. To provide some relief to people from the heat and rain at traffic intersections, special sheds have been constructed at AG Chowk, Rupali Chowk and Pawar House Chowk. To protect people from the heat wave, special bus queue shelters have been constructed at 10 crowded bus stands. Similarly, two cool rest areas have been constructed near Simalap and Fire Station for waiting passengers.
This year, BMC has been awarded the Global Sustainability and Innovation Award 2026 at the national level for waste processing by applying modern technology in sanitation. For the first time in the state, BMC has taken steps to make Bhubaneswar rabies-free. Similarly, to keep the roaming cows safe and reduce accidents, they have been kept in 6 cowsheds. The BMC Commissioner said that the cooperation of the citizens is essential to take Bhubaneswar further.All these programs were coordinated by BMC Additional Commissioner Shri Kailash Chandra Das.
