Neighbourhood makeover merges art, lighting and basic infrastructure
Cuttack — A neglected bylane in the heart of the city has been transformed into what the civic body calls Cuttack’s first smart lane, combining mural art, road repair, improved lighting and waste clearance in a neighbourhood redevelopment drive.
The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) said the work on Chuna Bhati lane, which falls under ward number 38, began in June and was completed in the first week of August. Around 40 households line the stretch.
- Number of artists: Eight
- Households on the lane: About 40
- Lighting installed: 25 LED lights plus a streetlight
- Public investment: ₹25 lakh, according to CMC
The civic makeover paired practical repairs with neighbourhood beautification. The lane’s carriageway, earlier described by the civic body as being in poor condition, was resurfaced. Garbage was cleared and residents were encouraged to participate in painting the walls, creating a cleaner, more pleasant environment for the community.
"The initiative was aimed at creating a model for neighbourhood-level urban transformation. The civic body has spent Rs 25 lakh on developing Chuna Bhati as Cuttack’s first smart lane," CMC mayor Subhash Singh said, adding that the project sought to combine beautification with cleanliness, lighting and improved public infrastructure.
Local design drive and youth-led ideas
The concept and design were led by two local residents: 27-year-old Sampad Paikray, a recent BTech graduate preparing for a government examination, and 21-year-old Ushaid Sheikh, a commerce graduate. Paikray first proposed the idea and worked with the ward corporator, Subhasish Pattnaik, to present designs to the CMC.
Paikray said the duo worked on the designs for more than a week and used artificial intelligence to select various motifs before submitting them to the civic body. The walls were then painted by eight artists, who completed vibrant murals featuring flowers, birds, traditional motifs and other colourful designs, the civic body stated.
Model for replication and civic participation
Mayor Subhash Singh described the Chuna Bhati project as a small-scale model that the civic body hopes can be replicated across the city and potentially in other parts of the state. The CMC highlighted resident participation and creativity as distinguishing features of the scheme.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project timeline | June to first week of August |
| Cost | ₹25 lakh (CMC figure) |
| Art and labour | Eight artists; local residents involved in painting |
| Infrastructure additions | Road repairs, 25 LED lights, streetlight, garbage clearance |
The CMC statement noted the lane’s make-over went beyond mere beautification to address safety and sanitation — concerns frequently raised by residents of narrow city bylanes. Improved lighting can help reduce accident risk at night and discourage anti-social behaviour, while better surface drainage and road repairs reduce waterlogging during monsoon months.
Local residents and the young designers framed the project as a demonstration of how small-scale civic interventions, backed by municipal funds and local participation, can change everyday urban experience. The CMC said it aims to apply similar neighbourhood-level interventions elsewhere in the city.
For residents of Chuna Bhati and surrounding areas, the visible changes are immediate: a cleaner lane, colourfully painted walls and brighter lighting. As the monsoon season continues, keeping the new drains and cleaned lanes free of waste will be crucial to sustain the improvements. The civic body’s next steps, according to the CMC, will be to monitor maintenance and encourage similar resident-driven proposals in other wards.
