Layanan Online: October 2026

Tuesday, 27 October 2026

Odisha: Govt team to probe land lease fraud in capital city & Jatni

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has constituted a seven-member team to probe the illegal and fraudulent lease settlement of government land in Bhubaneswar and Jatni tehsils of Khurda following detection of ‘unauthorised’ lease of around 4.24 acre in the name of a public servant, during his service period, at Ogalapada village in the district.

Issuing an order, the Revenue and Disaster Management department said the team will conduct a thorough probe into the fraudulent settlement cases on the basis of the terms of reference (ToR), and submit a detailed report within a month.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Special secretary of LRGE branch has been appointed as the chairman of the team, while additional secretary (CH&S), ADM Revenue (Khurda), ADM Bhubaneswar, settlement officer Cuttack and Bhubaneswar/Jatni tehsildar are its members. Joint secretary (CH&S) in the Revenue department has been appointed as the convenor of the team.

As per the ToR, the team will undertake a comprehensive examination of the settlement of government land under the wasteland lease in Bhubaneswar and Jatni. It will examine the original case record and verify whether the settlement of government land was made in accordance with the laws, and recommend appropriate corrective measures, including cancellation or resumption of leases, recovery of government land and protection utilising the funds meant for the same.

The team has been asked to identify if there were cases involving forged or fabricated document, manipulation of revenue records, suppression of material facts or substantive illegality; and also identify if there were any lapses or dereliction of duty of the officials.

The issue surfaced recently, after the Board of Revenue received an application seeking to record over 4.24 acre of government land in Ogalapada village under Jatni tehsil, worth about `100 crore, in the name of a purchaser.

Monday, 26 October 2026

Speeding SUV crashes into divider, pole in Bhubaneswar; occupants escape unhurt

BHUBANESWAR: A man and a woman travelling with him in an SUV escaped unhurt after he crashed the speeding vehicle into a divider and hit a pole installed on it at VIP Colony area within Nayapalli police limits on Sunday morning.

The driver was identified as Sarthak Swabhiman Sabat. On being informed, police arrived at the spot and rescued both the occupants of the SUV. They also carried out the duo’s breath analyser test but they were not found under the influence of alcohol.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“The man driving the vehicle claimed he crashed into the divider as he dozed off. The SUV has been seized and a probe launched into the matter,” said an officer of Nayapalli police station.

In another development, two persons, including an elderly man, had a narrow escape after the car they were travelling in suddenly caught fire near Patia Square on Sunday afternoon. The two noticed smoke and stepped out of the car. The vehicle caught fire within seconds. Fire service personnel rushed to the spot and doused the blaze.

Sunday, 25 October 2026

Bhubaneswar unveils interactive climate risk platform for citizens

BHUBANESWAR: Union minister of state for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu unveiled ‘Bhubaneswar Climate Digital Twin’, billed as the country’s first interactive climate risk platform for citizens, at the 19th Urban Mobility India Conference and Expo 2026 on Friday.

Developed by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) with technical backing from GIZ India under MoHUA’s Sustainable Urban Mobility - Air Quality, Climate Action and Accessibility (SUM-ACA) project and built by Innpact Solutions, the platform creates a data-driven picture of the city’s climate risks, helping urban planners and civic authorities understand environmental problems, identify vulnerable locations and plan interventions.

BMC officials said the open-access portal integrates satellite imagery, weather data and advanced computer modelling to map three critical environmental hazards which include heat stress, urban flooding and air pollution, across 67 wards of the city, apart from road-safety ratings. The digital model covers roughly 2.77 lakh buildings, 2,000 km of roads and 2,100 public facilities.

The platform tracks Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) to measure ‘felt heat’ rather than raw air temperatures. Designed for accessibility, the portal requires no login and features a built-in AI assistant to answer queries in plain language, BMC officials said. They added that citizens can simply open climate.bmc.gov.in on any smartphone, tablet or computer.

The platform has identified specific pockets across the city that face severe, recurring environmental pressures. As per its findings, During the recent summer, extreme felt-heat hotspots peaked at the Airport Region (46.0°C), Dhirikuti Sahi and IDCO Colony (45.8°C), Paikarapur (45.6°C) and Salia Sahi (45.4°C), while areas like Sikharchandi Vihar, Rail Kunj Complex, Jagannath Nagar, Saheed Nagar and Adimata Colony suffer from severe nighttime heat retention.

For urban flooding, the historical satellite records pinpointed vulnerable residential clusters including Lingaraj Vihar, Ananta Vihar, Badagada Brit Colony, Paika Nagar and Kolathia where over 1,500 buildings experienced inundation nearly 10 times in last 10 years. Besides, winter air-quality mapping has flagged neighborhoods such as Sriram Nagar, Samantarapur, Kapileswar, Basisthanagar and Brahmeswar Patna near AQI 230, with around 345 educational institutions experiencing poor air quality.

Mayor Sulochana Das said, “The platform empowers residents to directly report localised issues like waterlogging, open waste burning and construction dust by uploading photos with geotags. By searching for their house, school, market or street, users can instantly view live and historical data regarding their area’s heat stress, air quality and flood risks.”

BMC commissioner Chanchal Rana said the platform allows civic authorities to direct resources precisely where vulnerability is highest.

Saturday, 24 October 2026

Bhubaneswar bids emotional adieu to Goddess Durga

BHUBANESWAR: Grand processions marked the immersion ceremony of Goddess Durga in the state capital on Thursday, as thousands of devotees thronged the streets to bid an emotional farewell to the deity amid chants, devotional music and traditional celebrations.

Major processions were organised by Bhasani Committees at four different stretches across the city, drawing large crowds and adding to the festive fervour. The processions were carried out in groups by four organisations - Bhubaneswar Bhasani Utsav Samiti, Saheed Nagar; Rajdhani Mandir Suraksha Bhasani Samiti, Nayapalli; Uttar Bhubaneswar Bhasani Committee, Chandrasekharpur; and Old Town Bhasani Samiti.

Around 26 puja committees took part in the immersion procession carried out by the Bhasani Samiti of Saheed Nagar on Janpath road, while 18 took part in Nayapalli. The immersion processions on the four major stretches witnessed enthusiastic participation from devotees, with beautifully decorated tableaux, traditional dance performances and musical troupes accompanying the idols.

The Janpath stretch, from Rupali Square to Rajmahal, came alive with light-and-sound shows, traditional bands and folk dances. The procession routes witnessed a steady flow of devotees in the evening, with the organisers making all arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of the celebrations.

City DCP Saravana Vivek M said around 48 platoons of police force were deployed across key locations to regulate traffic and maintain law and order. “Rush was witnessed along Vani Vihar, Nayapalli and Pahala stretches. However, the processions and idol immersions went smoothly,” he added. The idol immersion was carried out in five temporary ponds created by the BMC near Kuakhai and Daya rivers and Basuaghai. Ravan Podi also added to the festive spirit.

Thursday, 22 October 2026

Security tightened in Bhubaneswar for Ravan Podi

BHUBANESWAR: Elaborate security arrangements have been made for Ravan Podi and Durga Puja immersion ceremony in the state capital on Thursday.

This year, Ravan Podi will be observed at nine places in the capital city. Police have directed the organisers to ensure visitors assemble at least 100 metre away from the spot where the effigies will be burnt. The organisers have been allowed to burst only organic firecrackers during the event.

For idol immersion, temporary ponds have been created at different places across Kuakhai and Daya rivers. The procession will be carried out in groups by four organisations - Bhubaneswar Bhasani Utsav Samiti, Saheed Nagar; Rajdhani Mandir Suraksha Bhasani Samiti,Nayapalli;Uttar Bhubaneswar Bhasani Committee, Chandrasekharpur; and Old Town Bhasani Samiti.

While traditional instruments and band have been allowed, use of DJ has been prohibited. Organisers have been asked to play music using only speakers.

Bhubaneswar DCP Saravana Vivek M said a total of 48 platoons of police force and about 100 officers of different ranks will be deployed to maintain law and order during the immersion ceremony.

To ensure smooth movement and minimise inconvenience to citizens, the city police have also imposed restrictions on vehicular movement on certain routes from 2 pm to 1 am.

During the immersion procession, no vehicles will be allowed to ply on Janpath road. They can proceed on Sachivalaya Marg and its adjoining roads.This restriction will be in force from 2 pm till the end of Bhasani Yatra.Vehicles travelling from CRP square to Cuttack will be diverted towards Jayadev Vihar via Ekamra Park road.

Vehicles approaching Jayadev Vihar from Nandankanan will be allowed to take connecting roads at KIIT Square or Kalarahanga. Heavy vehicles/buses heading towards Bhubaneswar from Khurda have been restricted from plying on the service roads. They will have to travel only via the flyovers.

Security tightened in Bhubaneswar for Ravan Podi

BHUBANESWAR: Elaborate security arrangements have been made for Ravan Podi and Durga Puja immersion ceremony in the state capital on Thursday.

While traditional instruments and band have been allowed, use of DJ has been prohibited. Organisers have been asked to play music using only speakers.

Bhubaneswar DCP Saravana Vivek M said a total of 48 platoons of police force and about 100 officers of different ranks will be deployed to maintain law and order during the immersion ceremony.

To ensure smooth movement and minimise inconvenience to citizens, the city police have also imposed restrictions on vehicular movement on certain routes from 2 pm to 1 am.