Cuttack: A physical inspection by the Orissa high court has exposed serious lapses in the upkeep and management of Biju Patnaik Park in Cuttack city’s CDA Sector-11, with the court finding several parts of the sprawling public space unsafe and poorly maintained.The 36-acre park, developed by the Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) with gardens, lawns, flower beds and pathways, was opened to the public in 2010. Though a makeover was claimed to have been undertaken under a joint CDA-CMC project in 2024, the latest inspection indicated continuing deficiencies.The two-judge bench of Justices K R Mohapatra and V Narasingh, which has been monitoring civic issues in Cuttack, ordered an inspection of the park after High Court Bar Association’s (HCBA) president and senior advocate Lalatendu Samantaray’s submission about the “precarious condition” of the park on Aug 27. Later that day around 6pm, the high court’s registrar (judicial), Satya Ranjan Pradhan, accompanied by Samantaray, advocate Bibhuti Bhusan Choudhury, senior advocate Dayananda Mohapatra, representing CDA, and additional government advocate Debasis Nayak, representing CMC, inspected the park.Subsequently, on Aug 29, Pradhan submitted a detailed note on the deficiencies noticed during the visit. One of the most serious concerns raised was inadequate lighting as several portions of the park were found “steeped in darkness”, which, according to the observations, could encourage anti-social activities and make the premises unsafe for visitors. Waterlogging was found at several locations, including the gymnasium area.The park’s internal roads and pathways were in poor condition and required “ urgent maintenance and repair”, while the jogging track was found to be “completely damaged”.The inspection also revealed that the fountains were not functioning and adequate drinking water facilities were unavailable. Toilets were found inadequately maintained and not properly cleaned, while the reception centre was found closed.Security arrangements were also found inadequate despite the park covering a large area. The CCTV surveillance system came under particular scrutiny. Of the reported 98 cameras installed across the park, only a few were found to be functional.The registrar also pointed out the poor maintenance of bushes and vegetation along the boundary wall, saying these required proper cleaning and upkeep.The matter has been posted to Sept 10 for further consideration with a direction to be taken up as the first issue of the day.
