Garbage dumped at Gate bazar (ward No. 17) in Berhampur. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, April 22: The municipal corporation will privatise sanitation at six more wards.

The civic body has privatised the sanitation job at 17 wards of the total 40.

“Following a tender-floating for the purpose, several bidders have submitted their papers. But, the papers could not be opened on March 25 in view of the model code of conduct which is in force,” said health officer of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation Subhakanta Das.

The city generates about 150 metric tonnes (MT) of garbage a day. The corporation has 759 sweepers and drain cleaners, including 371 regular and 388 casual employees. Considering the national average, which states that two sweepers are required to clean and maintain half-a-km stretch of road and drain, the civic body requires a total of 1,800 sweepers. However, the corporation is now managing the task with only 759 of them. “We are in the process of privatisation of sanitation at more wards to have a lesser burden on the employees,” Das said.

“Privatisation of sanitation has helped us deploy sweepers and drain cleaners at remaining wards — which resulted in reducing our burden,” said the health officer.

The corporation would ask the private party for road sweeping, cleaning, drain cleaning, bush cutting and spray of disinfectants at the particular wards to be privatised. According to the civic body’s norms, cleaning of roads, lanes and by-lanes would be conducted twice a day from 4am to 9am and 3pm to 6pm to facilitate the public. Disinfectant, including bleaching powder and mosquito oil, will be sprayed on every Saturday.