Berhampur: The dream of people of Berhampur will come true as the first rock garden of Odisha will soon come up in the Silk City.
The rock garden, which would be the second rock garden in India, will place Ganjam district in the world tourism map.
The much-cherished project is being developed at the cost of Rs 8 crore at Ambapua in the Silk City. The project is expected to be completed by October this year, said Berhampur Development Authority (BeDA) vice chairman and BeMC Commissioner Chakravorty Singh Rathore.
The master plan for the rock garden has been prepared and the project work has already begun. The main objective of the project is to create a public space of civic pride to host exhibitions, concerts and festivals.
The rock garden is envisioned to be a space where people can educate themselves, work, and enjoy recreational activities within the beauty of nature in its rockery, water bodies and green spaces.
In 2015, the Odisha Government had decided to construct the rock garden with an aim to showcase the glorious stone art heritage of Odisha.
After Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone in 2016, a boundary wall was constructed with an initial funding of Rs 60 lakh.
As per sources, the project has been designed on the lines of the famous Rock Garden of Chandigarh.
The garden will use only solar power to create awareness on use of renewable energy.
The site will contain an open air theater, lake, water fall, landscaping, and public utility centers.
The rock garden project will boost tourism in the Ganjam district.