Dhenkanal: Dhenkanal civic areas will undergo a facelift with improvised town planning and lots of infrastructure changes. Priority will be given to the city’s drainage system, roads and rehabilitation of slum dwellers.
The government has brought Dhenkanal town under the Jaga Mission pilot project and has sought advice of technical experts and architects on town planning.
Recently, as per the direction of the housing and urban development department secretary, a three-member team of technical experts and architects from Spain and UK, belonging to the Norman Foster Foundation, visited Dhenkanal and studied the town.
The team including Rocio Conesa Sanchez, Charles David Palmer and Abhijeet Chandel also visited the slums that have illegally mushroomed in Dhenkanal municipal areas. The slum dwellers will be accommodated in other places where the government will provide land under the Jaga Mission.
Priority will be given by the government to provide them all basic facilities. In the presence of the local Tehsildar and Revenue Inspectors, lands at Chandamari Sahi, Mahishapat, Banamaliprasad areas, including 11 acres of government land at Kathagada were identified for rehabilitating the slum dwellers.
The architects had a detailed discussion with Dhenkanal Collector Bhumesh Chandra Behera regarding this. They also discussed matters like infrastructure development, roads, drainage, electrification and water supply facilities.
According to sources, the beautification of slums was given importance in the discussion at the circuit house Tuesday and senior officials conducted mapping of the slums.
An estimate of the land visited by the team of experts was also made. Executive Officer Atanu Kumar Samant and other officials of the civic body participated in the discussion.
PNN