Three dustbins placed on a Cuttack road. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Aug. 21: The three dustbins, placed on main road near the eastern gate of SCB Medical College and Hospital, have become risky to negotiate for Dilip Swain, who has to regularly drive through the stretch.

“There is usually a rush near the medical college on the Ranihat side. Any vehicle could hit the three bins that have been placed on the road, just few metres from the cardiology department outside the SCB campus,” Swain, a resident of Cantonment, said.

Faulty placement of the bins to ensure systematic collection and disposal of solid waste by the Cuttack Municipal Corporation is posing a threat to smooth flow of traffic at various places in the city. Motorists need to be extra cautious while negotiating the bins placed without the required concrete platforms along major roads.

“We have not been able to construct the required number of concrete platforms due to lack of space at the busy streets. We will relocate the bins to comparatively broader stretches and install the platforms there to facilitate quick clearance of the bins,” said city health officer P.K. Pradhan.

“The bins have been placed at the identified places after conducting necessary survey. However, for easy collection of waste the bins have been placed near roads, so that the vehicles can reach the collection points without any problem,” he said.

But, the “necessary survey” and the subsequent placement of the bins have nothing but added to the motorists’ woes.

“One needs to be extra cautious while driving as a lot of big dustbins have been placed right on the edge of roads at various localities,” said Sanjay Mohanty, a resident of Mission Road.

Corporation sources said that over 40 per cent of the 120 big dustbins did not have a concrete platform and, therefore, placed on the edge of roads.

“Two bins have been placed adjacent to speed-brakers near Cantonment Road in front of the Christ College gate. There is every possibility that motorists might collide with the bins,” said Subasish Sahu, a local resident.

So far, over 120 big and 150 small dustbins have been placed at the identified places for daily collection of solid waste. However, many residents allege to have been facing problems as bulk of such bins has either been placed on the road turnings leading to accidents.

“Such wrong placement of the bins for disposal of garbage has also come to our notice. We have already asked the civic body officials to take steps to avert possible road mishaps,” said assistant commissioner of police (traffic) Pramod Rath.

The problem has assumed serious proportions at Dolmundai, Mangalabag, Kesharpur and Cantonment.

The corporation had entered into an agreement with Hyderabad-based Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited for the solid waste collection and disposal in the city from 2011.

Earlier, there were over 40 identified places from where the civic body sweepers used to collect and dispose of garbage. But after the corporation handed over the responsibility of waste management to Ramky, efforts were initiated to construct concrete platforms with necessary boundary walls to check spillage of waste on roads.

At present, a few bins have been placed on the identified platforms from where the vehicles can drop fresh bins and collect those filled with garbage.