Vadodara: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has planned to introduce Dubai-style musical fountain shows at Ajwa Safari Park and a light-and-sound show at Sursagar Lake as part of its newly approved municipal budget, aiming to enhance the city’s tourism appeal and public amenities.

Municipal Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu had presented a ₹7,609-crore budget before the Standing Committee on February 3. After four days of deliberations, the committee approved an expanded budget of ₹7,671.21 crore on February 7, with a focus on urban development, revenue generation, citizen-centric facilities, social and internal infrastructure, technology-driven governance, and long-term planning.

To strengthen visitor infrastructure at Ajwa Safari Park, the civic body has earmarked ₹11 crore for a new compound wall, an attractive entrance gate, a ticket plaza, and essential amenities such as drinking water facilities and toilets. The plan also includes a proposed Dubai-style musical fountain attraction at the Safari Garden in Ajwa.

Meanwhile, drawing inspiration from the Ganga Aarti in Haridwar and the Narmada Aarti near the Statue of Unity, the civic body has allocated ₹10 crore for projection mapping along with a light-and-sound show at Sursagar Lake.

Standing Committee Chairman Dr. Sheetal Mistry also indicated plans to transform the Nyaymandir precinct into a heritage square in the future, with museum-related works already underway at Nyaymandir and Lal Court.

In addition, the VMC is considering the creation of a centralised data centre to integrate municipal data for improved analysis and decision-making, along with a dedicated coordination cell to strengthen inter-departmental functioning. DeshGujarat