Jeypore: State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will pay Rs 7 crore for renovation and beautification of the historic water body ‘Jagannath Sagar’ here in Koraput district, officials said. The matter came to the fore Monday during the foundation stone laying ceremony for the project by Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati. Sub-collector Bedabar Pradhan, Jeypore Municipality chairman Narendra Mohanty, vice-chairperson B Sunita, SDPO Arup Abhishek Behera, municipality executive officer Siddharth Patnaik, HAL GM RP Chakraborty and other officials and all councilors of the civic body were present during the ceremony. The Jeypore MLA also laid the foundation stone of a room for keeping the relics of the deceased at Bhootnath crematorium. The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 5.56 lakh. A park will also be built at a cost of Rs 25 lakh at Dhanwi Township in this city. Bahinipati also asserted that there will be no dearth of funds for the development and upgrading of the historic water body.
Prior to the ceremony, an MoU was signed Saturday between Jeypore Municipality representing the Koraput district administration and HAL for renovation of ‘Jagannath Sagar’. It should be stated here that ‘Jagannath Sagar’ was created more than three centuries back by the erstwhile royals of Jeypore over 300 acres of land.
However, due to encroachments, dumping of garbage and lack of maintenance, the water body has shrunk to 55 acres. According to the MoU, HAL will pay Rs 7 crore in three phases during a three-year period. The funds will be spent on construction and installation of the main gate, an amusement centre for children, a resting place for senior citizens, an open air theatre, walkway, drainage system and a café, sources from HAL said. HAL will pay Rs 1 crore in the first phase, Rs 3.50 crore in the second and Rs 2.50 crore in the third. The initial amount of Rs 1 crore will be provided in four installments, sources said. The development and renovation of ‘Jagannath Sagar’ has become a reality because of the efforts of local denizens and as the matter was raised consistently in the Odisha Assembly by Bahinipati. Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra took notice of the issues raised by Bahinipati.
Apart from the funding by HAL, a detailed project report of Rs 8 crore has been prepared and submitted to the Odisha government for its appraisal and final approval. A survey has also been undertaken to prevent flow of polluted water into the water body.