Why BDA Took So Long To Decide On The Renovation Of The Only Amusement Park In The Capital?

Why BDA Took So Long To Decide On The Renovation Of The Only Amusement Park In The Capital?

On October 12, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) announced that the BDA City Centre, the only amusement park in the capital, will be renovated within six months.

Much before the BDA’s decision, My City Links had made a ground zero visit to understand how the city centre, once a thriving recreational hotspot for kids and adults alike that used to draw hundreds of visitors, had turned into a pale shadow of its own bustling self; and why it took the development authorities so long to come up with a revival plan for the park which has been crying for attention for years after being caught in administrative inertia.

It was on December 12^th, 1998 that the BDA Nicco Park was opened to the public. A joint venture between Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and the Nicco Group, the park located in the heart of the city with 10 amazing rides and an artificial lake was considered a welcome move by the people of the city.

With an entry fee of Rs. 25, the park became a centre of attraction in the city, particularly for children, being the first ever amusement centre in the capital. People from all across the state became regular visitors to the park. But in some years, lack of maintenance started becoming a matter of concern for the BDA Nicco Park. If that wasn’t enough, the Nicco group pulled out of the venture in 2007 and Sun Tech City Private Limited was chosen as its partner and the project was renamed as BDA City Centre. As per the new agreement, Suntech got 51% share and BDA 49% share in the park.

But post the change in management, problems started multiplying for the park. Currently, it is lying in a neglected condition. While the once beautiful lake has turned more into a large dirty pool of water with nearby buildings releasing their waste, most of the rides are in a critical condition and in serious need of repair. It may be recalled that in 2015, three girls were injured after a car in one of the rides (water chute) derailed. After the mishap, the development authority asked officials of BDA City Centre to submit safety reports every quarter after checking the rides in the park.

However, today, most of the rides are suffering from maintenance issues and the neglect is visibly evident! While the Water Chute ride was stopped after the accident, rides like Water Moon Raker and Jurassic Park have been under maintenance for a long time now and the rest too aren’t in great condition.

With foul smell emanating from the lake 24 X 7, boating has become a harrowing experience for visitors. Besides, the lake has become a veritable breeding ground for mosquitoes and a menace for locals. Not to mention, the unwanted bushes all around the park have entirely spoiled its beauty. In short, BDA City Centre no longer even looks like an amusement park anymore.

Locals also allege that the authorities are more interested in the community centres, which have been opened within the premises adjacent to the park for organising social gatherings and functions and which are also making decent profits. There is also a restaurant named 9^th Street within the premises, which has been running successfully.  However, as per BDA, it is the private party, which is managing the park and has raised its entry fee and also making profits from these establishments without sharing the promised amount with BDA. Although these accusations were also raised by a social outfit, AmaAadhikar in 2014, it is surprising how the government hasn’t taken any strong action in this regard.

Meanwhile, notwithstanding all these issues and the sorry state of affairs within the park, the entry fee continues to be Rs. 150 per head with the same listed rides! No wonder, the visitors are disappointed with the park and the authorities. Here’s what some of them had to share with My City Links.

“This is my first visit to the park and I have been very disheartened to see the condition it lies in. Although the ticket is priced for a number of rides, not more than two or three are operational. It was unexpected from a government owned property. This would be my last visit to the BDA City Centre.” – Binayak Das, Cuttack

“Most of the rides aren’t working and we feel that we have wasted our money. I had last visited the place seven or eight years ago and the ticket cost wasRs. 50, back then.  Some of the rides were free then and they had separate ticket counters for individual rides inside the premises. We could choose whichever ride we wanted to enjoy and not pay for all. Coming here after so many years has been totally disappointing. The park is in a dilapidated state.” –Prabhat Patra, LakhsmiSagar, Bhubaneswar

“The park is in such an appalling condition that even if the management allows free entry to the public to the BDA City Centre, it will still not be worth visiting.” – Sailesh Pati, Rourkela

“This property is owned by BDA now. First, the Nicco Group took this land and constructed the BDA Nicco Park. Then, some other organisation wanted to take over this property from Nicco. Thus, Nicco was taken out from the project and another company took over. However, this new company is not used to dealing with projects such as amusement parks and rides. Therefore, it has failed to maintain and develop the property. The entry ticket is extremely high priced as compared to the number of rides available. Now, since some of the rides are not working, the management should take adequate steps to attract people. Even as employees who have worked here for the last 17-18 years, we still get paid a meagre salary amount of Rs. 9000. Although we are deployed on a contractual basis, we would still want the management to look into the upkeep of the park so that people are happy to visit again.” – Pratap Jena (name changed on request), a senior worker at BDA City Centre