Shopain: The beautification drive of Shopian town launched by local administration is in full swing.
“The beautification drive is underway and the district administration has many such projects in the pipeline”, said Sachin Kumar Vaishya, District Magistrate Shopian.
Vaishya said that the beautification programme was taken up given the historic significance of the town.
“The place used to be the halting point during the Mughal era and has a great potential to attract the tourists in hordes,” he added.
A few months ago, the district administration took up a beautification programme, which began with artwork–painting the bare walls of the town with striking murals and graffiti.
Nearly a dozen walls have been painted with murals and graffiti in and around the town thus far.
“The administration has spent at least Rs three lakh on the wall paintings,” informed an official from Municipal Council Shopian (MCS).
He said that above some of the painted walls small lights had been installed so that the artwork would look more beautiful in the shade of light.
“The impressive artwork would not only beautify the town but also protect the large walls against any defacement”, said the official.
He said that retro reflective studs were installed along a road from Four Way to Bonabazar.
The official said that the construction work undertaken by MCS on a 52-feet tall clock tower in the market square would be inaugurated soon.
He informed that the LCDs installed at two important location –one at Zero point and other at Jahangir Chowk– would give up to the minute information about weather, generate awareness and keep people posted with new schemes and programmes of the government.
Moreover, these digital equipment, installed in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, could also be used by the local businessmen for commercial advertisements to promote their business.
“We are planning to install more such LCDs at other prominent points of the town”, said the official.
The administration has also renovated the area around the historic Jamia Masjid.
Apart from installing the antique decorative lights, many floral buckets were kept in the area.
Of late, the administration also inaugurated an open air gym in a well-manicured park near hospital road.