HUBBALLI: The much-awaited musical fountain at Mahatma Gandhi Park here will be opened for the public soon.
MG Park is the only one in the heart of Hubballi for people to go for an outing during the weekends and holidays. Under the Smart City Project the musical fountain was developed here at a cost of nearly Rs 4.5 crore.
Facilities for LED laser show and 3D audio video show with water screen have been made and the water fountain has been developed with 18 formations. Seating arrangement for more than 300 people is made at the amphitheatre.
Hubballi Dharwad Smart City Limited managing director CW Shakeel Ahemad said, "The musical fountain is ready, and we are planning to inaugurate it before the end of October. Minor works are being completed."
"For five years, operations and maintenance will be taken care of by the contractor. It is yet to be decided if the fountain will be put on display daily or twice or thrice a week," he added.
The musical fountain will be the first one to be installed in a public place. A reputed college had installed a fountain on its premises, but it is no longer functional.
HDMC commissioner Suresh Itnal said that to ensure the smooth functioning and maintenance of parks and others developed under Smart City Project, it has been decided to register a society involving all elected representatives and eminent persons from other fields. "Once the society is formed, its members will take a decision on how to use the fountain, entry fees and others," he added.
"For the past few years, we have been hearing that a musical fountain will come up at MG park and it is yet to be completed. The authorities should take up all works in the park on war footing and ensure the fountain starts functioning from November 1 to celebrate Kannada Rajyotsava," said Ashish Joshi, a college student in Vidyanagar.
