Berhampur: Despite tall claims of various steps being taken by the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) for adequate waste management, garbage is piling up in many wards of the civic body on account of abject failure on the part of agencies hired to maintain proper cleanliness, sources said Saturday. Things have come to such a pass that life has become miserable for the denizens of the Silk City.
As per sources, cleaning operations are being carried out by private agencies on behalf of the civic body which has earmarked an annual budget of Rs29.42 crore towards the works. Private agencies such as Pratyush, Safai Abhiyan and PMR have been entrusted with the city’s sanitation responsibilities.
The Silk City is divided into five zones and 42 wards for efficient management of civic affairs. Currently, 132 garbage collection vehicles and 1,336 sanitation workers are employed for waste collection and management. After the removal of dustbins, garbage is now being collected at designated spots and transported to five collection points in the city. From there, the waste is transported to Mohuda for disposal after its segregation into dry and wet categories.
Additionally, GPS devices have been installed on garbage collection vehicles, which provide real-time data to the sanitation department about their routes and collection details. However, the ground realities paint a different picture.
For instance, in Ward No. 28, near Gosani Nuagaon overbridge, waste has piled up, turning the area into a dumping yard. Residents have alleged that sanitation workers are dumping all the waste collected from the ward at one spot. Furthermore, reports said there have been several complaints of non-collection of garbage by the agencies entrusted by the BeMC.
Even though established rules require the agencies to collect garbage from designated points, violations have been reported including instances of irresponsible burning of garbage piles. This has caused severe inconvenience to locals owing to emanating smoke and odour. Repeated complaints to the BeMC authorities have not led to any effective action, they rued.
A similar situation is witnessed near Dhanamera Sahi where garbage accumulation has been causing significant odour issues affecting commuters.
Additionally, the promised ‘transparency boards’ displaying the number of sanitation workers and vehicles per ward have not been implemented. BeMC’s assurance of resolving cleanliness complaints within 24 hours also remains unfulfilled, sources said. Residents’ complaints to the BeMC about sanitation issues often remain unresolved, they added.
When asked, BeMC Deputy Commissioner Ashirbad Parida said agencies are being directed to immediately clean areas where garbage has been accumulating. However, the effectiveness of these directives remains questionable.
PNN
