The sanitation wing of the BMC has issued ‘red’ or final notice to several restaurants and hotels at Kharavela Nagar and Ashok Nagar for dumping garbage. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, July 14: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued “red” notice to four hotels and restaurants in Kharvel Nagar and Ashok Nagar for discharging their wastewater on a nearby road and dumping solid waste in the locality.

In BMC parlance, a “red” notice means final notice. It comes seven days after the civic body issues a “white” notice, or a warning, when a citizen, business house or institution violates rules codified under Orissa Municipal Corporation Act, 2003, and pollutes the local environment or road.

Two of the hotels and restaurants, which have been issued notices for dumping vegetable wastes on the road, are near Station Square.

The other two erring hotels and restaurants are situated behind Hotel Swosti and in Lalchand Market Complex.

Notice was also served to a house owner in Ashok Nagar for letting wastewater flow on the road.

On March 25, the BMC had adopted a “tit-for-tat” policy to deal with violators who did not respond to even a “red” notice.

Acting tough against the offenders, BMC officials had then dumped a truckload of garbage just outside a private nursing home and an engineering college hostel in Buddha Nagar area under ward No 48.

They were releasing sewage water into storm water drains and causing pollution.

“Punishments for such violators are ensured through Sections 649 and 650 of the Orissa Municipal Corporation Act, 2003,” said a senior officer of the BMC’s sanitation wing.

In another move in January, BMC officials had dumped garbage in front of an apartment complex in Unit-IX area for violating civic rules.

“Orders for taking extreme steps like dumping garbage in front of the premises of the violators were issued by the municipal commissioner as a corrective measure so that the people polluting their surroundings would realise their fault. The violators of Ashok Nagar and Kharvel Nagar must act according to the rules and correct their actions,” said city health officer Ashok Panda.

Councillor of ward No. 48, Kishore Kumar Mohanty, said: “The violators of civic rules should be dealt with strictly so that people would not dare to repeat such acts. The BMC authorities are spending lakhs in a month to lift solid wastes. So, dumping wastes everywhere would aggravate the sanitation problem in the city. People should learn proper civic behaviour.”

Rajkumar Mohanty, a resident of Ashok Nagar, said: “Though the area under ward No. 43 is centrally located, the roads here are always strewn with paper, garbage or building material wastes. The local residents have requested the civic authorities on many occasions, but strict action is yet to be taken on the violators. We hope the BMC officials will act strictly this time to punish the culprits.”