Bhubaneswar, November 21: In a major step towards lighting up uncovered areas on city outskirts with beautiful median lights, Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) in collaboration with Forests and Environment Department, has completed the street light work of a major stretch between Patia Big Bazar  Square (Banaphoola Basti) and Nandankanan Square.

The project with an investment of around Rs 1.30 crore includes 130 poles with 260 LED lights with ample light generating, state-of-the-art LED lights. While the LED lights on the poles with decorative double arms are distributing sufficient lighting (90 watts) for the main thoroughfare, at the Nandankanan Square a high-mast with nine numbers of 200 watt LED floodlights have been placed to provide beautiful lighting for the roundabout and also the entire area up to the gate towards the biggest zoo of the State.

While the media poles on the 4km stretch are of the height 9 metres each, the high-mast on the centre of the Nandankanan Square is of 16 metres’ height.

This has helped the entire area of Nandankanan, Raghunathpur, Nandan Vihar and adjacent areas including the dozens of residential colonies and apartment complexes on both the sides of the busy Airport-Nandan Kanan Road. As the above area falls outside the area of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, BDA took up the responsibility as a responsible agency to ensure equitable facilitation of civic amenities within its planning area.

The project was inaugurated recently in presence of Forests and Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray, Housing, Urban Development and Water Resources Minister Niranjan Pujari, Odia Language, Literature and Culture and Tourism Minister Ashok Chandra Panda, MP Dr. Prasanna Patsani, MLA Bhubaneswar (North) Priyadarshi Mishra and leaders and office-bearers of Bhubaneswar Block, among others.

Gopal Das, a shop owner from Raghunathpur thanked the development authority and Forests and Environment Department for the initiative as the area has become a major residential zone with many residential projects including high-rise structures coming up with good number of occupants.

Laxmipriya Sia, a housewife from Nandan Vihar, is also happy as the lighting arrangement between Patia Big Bazar Square (Banaphoola Basti) and Nandankan Square has provided a great fillip to the long-standing demands of many localities along the Airport-Nandankanan Road.