Bhubaneswar: Citing the importance of keeping the state capital clean, green and beautiful, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) claims that sanitation checks have been stepped up in the city while the use of single-use plastics is being strictly monitored. However, the real picture depicts the open violation of sanitation rules in broad daylight in Bhubaneswar.
In Nandan Vihar, Palasuni and many other areas, garbage dumps were seen burning in the afternoon. This raises fingers on the tall claims of the BMC on improved sanitation and increased inspection.
It seems that the BMC officials or the city’s sanitation inspection team are yet to smell of stench coming from the sewage and the thick smoke billowing out of the garbage dumps on fire in many areas.
According to reports, a fire broke out in a temporary dumping yard near Nandan Vihar on Monday. The fire broke out in the dumping yard at around midnight. Locals complained that they were facing problems breathing due to the smoke erupting from the dumping yard. On intimation, four fire tenders reached the spot and started efforts to bring the fire under control.
“Some people are living near the dumping yard and the garbage trucks are dumping other things instead of bio-degradable garbage. The smell from the dumping yard is making it worse. This fire is affecting the air quality. BMC should deal with all the dumping yards in the city carefully,” residents said.
Similarly, another resident said that he did not feel safe to live in the area anymore. He wondered what would happen if such a fire happened at night and their house was reduced to ashes.
When asked about the violation, a BMC sanitary officer said that he was not aware of it. He said that he would revert after a discussion with the departmental officer.
Importantly, when the sanitation rules were implemented by the BMC, enforcement teams were formed in all zones to monitor. Sanitation workers, supervisors, JCOs, sanitary inspectors and other sanitation workers were deployed. However, over time, the enforcement team has become non-operational, and such violations have increased.
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