Bhubaneswar: Flooded with repeated complaints and hounded by several failed initiatives, the municipal corporation has now come up with a plan to ensure cleanliness in the city's conservancy lanes.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has decided to rope in a separate sanitary agency to take care of cleanliness in the conservancy lanes. The move comes after several local residents and councillors raised concern over the diurty state of these lanes.

Conservancy lanes are the space between two rows of houses. These lanes are mainly found in colonies developed by the general administration department. These include government quarters at Unit I, Unit II, Unit III and Unit VIII. The lanes are meant for passage of cesspool vehicles, fire engines, ambulance and other such utility vehicles.

However, with time the lanes have become dumping yards for nearby houses.

"These spaces could be utilised in several ways, but right now they have become dumping grounds. Since the lanes are adjacent to the houses, their unhygienic condition also triggers fear of health hazards," said Anjana Hota, a resident of Unit II.

Last June, the civic body shifted focus to the conservancy lanes. Cleanliness drives were conducted for a few months, but it was discontinued in the absence of manpower and proper monitoring. Within a few months, the lanes turned into garbage dumps.

"Sanitary officials clear garbage bins and roads, but the conservancy lanes are left untouched. As windows of our houses face these lanes, the stink from these lanes make living unbearable," said Saheed Nagar resident and homemaker Kalpana Majhi.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said they had asked the department concerned to prepare a proposal and get an independent agency to take care of the cleanliness aspect of the conservancy lanes.

"We have adopted a similar approach for construction and demolition waste. The same measure will be adopted for these lanes," Jena said.