The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has lodged a formal police complaint after a group of residents and activists allegedly forcefully entered the under-construction Palasuni mega waste processing facility and held an unofficial inauguration ceremony, disrupting the site’s pre-launch operations.
In a letter to the Mancheswar Police Station, the BMC labeled the act “unlawful” and sought legal action for interfering with a high-value public infrastructure project, which was scheduled for official launch by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in June.
The disputed facility includes a 150-tonne-per-day material recovery plant, with provisions for processing green waste, low-grade plastic, and coconut waste. According to the BMC, the site is still undergoing final-stage technical preparations.
However, members of the Bhubaneswar Unnayan Parishad and the ‘Aliagada Hatao O Sainik School Banchao Abhiyan’ claimed the site has been ready for over eight months. Frustrated with continued delays, they entered the premises on Sunday, broke coconuts, and cut ceremonial ribbons in a symbolic launch, accusing authorities of ignoring repeated public pleas.
Activists cited worsening conditions at the Gadakana Temporary Transit Station (TTS)—currently Bhubaneswar’s main dumping yard—as a key reason for the agitation. Residents of Patia, Sainik School, Damana village, and surrounding areas have raised alarms over the stench, health hazards, and environmental impact of prolonged garbage accumulation.
“We had no choice. People are suffering. If BMC can’t act, we will,” said one activist, warning of escalating protests if immediate steps aren’t taken.
The BMC warned that the unauthorized entry posed serious security and public safety risks, potentially delaying the plant’s official commissioning. It added that such actions could derail key compliance and inspection processes ahead of the formal launch.
Despite the protest, the civic body has not issued a public statement addressing the residents’ grievances or indicating if the inauguration timeline will change.
