Cuttack, Dec. 16: The civic body has decided to lodge police complaints against those found dumping debris into the Kathajodi and Mahanadi rivers here.

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation hopes that their "zero-tolerance" policy on river pollution will play a crucial role in saving these two lifelines of the city.

A special squad consisting of the civic body's sanitary employees will be formed to keep tabs on dumping of debris into the rivers. Awareness drives will also be launched for the purpose. The corporation is planning to ask local residents to take pictures of the registration numbers of the vehicles involved in dumping debris into the rivers. Efforts will also be taken to restrict entry of heavy vehicles near the river ghats.

"As there is a severe pollution threat to both the rivers, we have decided to lodge complaints against those found dumping debris into the rivers," said Cuttack municipal commissioner Gyana Das.

Das said that the corporation had asked officials of the Japan International Co-operation Agency, which is assisting the integrated sanitation improvement project, to stop dumping debris on the Mahanadi Bali yatra ground. The recent move comes after the civic body caught a few tractors of contractors, engaged in the project, dumping debris into the Mahanadi before Bali yatra festival last month.

Unbridled dumping of rubble into the rivers is believed to have reduced the height of the embankments of both the water bodies, thereby increasing flood threat to the city.

"We have identified several low-lying areas, such as Kalia Boda, where we will use the debris to prevent waterlogging," Das said.#On the other hand, many councillors have raised concern over dumping of debris into various drainage channels by the agency contractors.

These issues were discussed at a co-ordination meeting between the civic body and the agency last evening.

The unsystematic disposal of slush and other construction materials has started to create problems in the fast clearance of waste water through various drainage channels in the city.

"Cuttack may face a Chennai-like disaster as drainage channels are getting clogged due to rampant dumping of debris," said ward No. 52 councillor Hrusikesh Dehury.

Some other councillors also alleged that it was becoming increasingly difficult to contain mosquito menace caused by the clogged drains.

Dehury said that already the ongoing work for the sanitation project was causing severe problems for the residents due to acute traffic congestion.

"We have asked the agency officials to repair the drains after completion of construction in every locality, so that the drainage channels regain their capacity to carry excess rainwater during monsoon," said Ramzan Khan, councillor of ward No. 16.