Bhubaneswar: Back in 2015, the state Tourism Department had announced it would install a musical fountain near the Parabodhi pond adjacent to the parking lot of the Dhauli stupa to attract more tourists.
The announcement came as music to the ears.
Three years down the line though, the music is yet to play and the jets of water from the fountain yet to dance to its tune.
The department had made the announcement buoyed by the success of the light and sound show of the Dhauli stupa in 2015. With the musical fountain, it wanted to turn the historic site into an evening destination as well. However, the dream the department tried to sell hard to the citizens then still remains a dream and the project only ‘on paper’.
PROMISE
2015
Buoyed by the success of the light and sound show of the Dhauli stupa in 2015, the Tourism department announced starting a musical fountain show near the Parabodhi pond
REALITY
2018
The pond continues to remain surrounded by weeds and shrubs, while discarded plastic bottles and wastes continue to be disposed of there by visitors
A visit to the site Friday revealed there has hardly been any movement on the project. The pond continues to remain surrounded by weeds and shrubs, while discarded plastic bottles and wastes continue to be disposed of there by visitors.
The musical fountain was in addition to the plan of the Tourism Department and the Dhauli Development Committee to shift the makeshift shops from the hill top of Dhauli to the parking lot for which several meetings were held.
It was proposed that the shops that were obstructing the view at the hilltop and stuck out like a sore thumb would be shifted to the parking lot to make the tourist’s experience a better one during their visit to the Peace Pagoda.
But it was not to be, and the shops remain.
“The only visible change the site has witnessed in the past three years is the light and sound show and mini vans taking tourists to the hilltop instead of the unregulated movement of the huge buses that used to cause gridlock sometimes,” said Suresh Chandra Tripathy, a resident of Samantarapur and a regular visitor.
When contacted for a response on the issue, the Bhubaneswar Tourist Officer, who is also a member of the Dhauli Development Committee, refrained from commenting anything and asked to call him only during office hours. There was no response from the state tourism director either when reached out by this newspaper.
Manish Kumar, OP