Titlagarh, one of the hottest places in India, is undergoing a cool makeover. The sweltering summer that this small town of western Orissa experiences can be primarily attributed to its being surrounded by several rocky, barren hills which radiate heat throughout the day. Two of the hills are right inside the town. Residents of the area are now implementing a plan that envisages covering one of the hills (Kamuda hill) with soil and topping it with a green canopy. It also involves creation of embankments on top and around the hill for rainwater harvesting, and removal of slushy soil from an adjacent pond to facilitate groundwater recharge.
Though the proposal was put forward by the sub-collector of Bolangir district, K K Seth, the state administration is throwing a spanner in the works. Seth had estimated the project cost to be Rs 15 lakh, but the West Orissa Development Council has sanctioned only Rs 10 lakh. Worse still, even this amount has not been handed over as yet. But work is on in full swing.
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