Bhubaneswar, May 6: Next time you dump something beside a road or on a footpath, the municipal corporation can penalise you. 

With the new BMC Regulation of Users Charges (Amendment) 2014 being approved by the state government, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now authorised to slap fines on people who dump construction material on the roadside or footpaths.

The new rule that was approved by the state government in the middle of February this year prescribes fine of Rs 1,500 to 
Rs 3,000 for storing construction materials on roads or footpaths. 

The civic body was supposed to enforce the rule from April 1, but it has been deferred for a while. 

“As people are not aware of the new rule, they have been dumping such materials on the footpath or road. We are going to undertake awareness drives and then impose compound fines on violators. None will be spared,” said additional commissioner of BMC Brundha D.

This is a common phenomenon in the city. Lack of action is believed to be the reason why people have never been bothered about it. 

Construction materials are dumped at many places on one of the busiest roads in the city, the Janpath. Such heaps cause much hazards to pedestrians and vehicles, but most of the time these are not treated with much importance. Even the authorities turn a blind eye to this. 

A huge pile of construction materials is lying on the footpath of Janpath just in front of the lane leading to Neelachal Hospital. It has been there for over six months now.

“These have been lying here for months now. For this portion, we have to walk on the road and many accidents have occurred here,” said Sanatan Mohanty, a private company employee working nearby. 

Similarly, materials have been dumped on the footpath near Kendriya Vidyalaya, crematorium at Satya Nagar near Big Bazar Square. With four-wheelers being parked on the extreme left lanes of the road, people face a lot of problems while walking as they have to take the road. 

“People have to walk on the road as the footpath has been home to construction materials. Moreover, illegal parking on the footpaths is another cause for concern. The authorities must pay an attention to such problems,” said Narayan Sahu, a resident.

People alleged that these building materials had been kept on the footpath by those who constructing houses or business establishments on both sides of the busy road. 

The corporation officials said they would slap fines on these people who are obstructing footpath or roads by dumping these materials. However, that would take sometime as the civic body would hold awareness drives for residents before enforcing the rule.