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A problem too big to sweep under the carpet

CUTTACK: The Silver City’s piling garbage seems to be one major problem the local civic body finds hard to sweep under the carpet. Despite strictures from the State High Court and reprimand from the State Assembly Standing Committee, the Cuttack Municipal Commission (CMC) is unable to find a solution to the chronic problem of the city.

The proposal to have garbage dump yard and solid-waste disposal plant at Chakradharpur under Baranga block, about 15 km from the city has run into troubled waters as the local residents have started vehemently opposing the CMC’s ambitious plan. “Although, the district administration has allotted an area of 30 acres at Chakradharpur for the project, we are unable to start the work due to opposition from the local residents”, said city mayor Nibedita Pradhan. The single-point dumping yard was supposed to begin in the area from May 1 as pert the direction of the HC.

Currently, the CMC is disposing of its garbage at some 60 locations around the fringes of the city, mostly around the river banks which finds its way to the rivers polluting the water sources. The CMC officials have time and again stated that they are ill equipped to handle both solid and liquid garbage generated in the city in huge quantity.

The city’s solid waste generation volume has gone up to nearly 400 metric tones (official version is only 260 mt) from 100 mt in 1997.

But CMC collects only half of these wastes for disposal while the remaining are strewn all over the city, making it as the most polluted city of the state.

Mounting of garbage in most parts of the city have forced the residents to file cases with police. According to sources, the city with a population of over seven lakh spread over an area of 140 sq km has a volume of waste generated from nearly 800 hotels and restaurants, 25 hospitals, over 100 nursing homes, 300 slums, 3000 commercial units, and 1.5 lakh households. Concerned over the city’s plight, the State HC while adjudicating over a PIL had appointed an advocates committee and had asked the State Advocate General (AG) to look into the city’s waste management.

Accordingly, the site at Chakradharpur was identified to have a single-point dumping yard.

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