A private plot used as garbage dumping zone at vip colony in kamapalli, berhampur. picture by Gopal Krishna Reddysunil Patnaik

Berhampur, Aug. 25: Unauthorised dumping of garbage on unused and disputed private plots has become a headache for the health department of the municipal corporation.

“We have kept dustbins of three metric tonne capacity at 10 road points to curb dumping, keep the city clean and facilitate smooth traffic. But dumping on private plots, especially disputed ones, is posing serious problems,” said Subhakanta Das, health officer of the corporation.

The number of such plots on which garbage has been dumped is about 50, he said.

“We are not supposed to clean the garbage on private plots. But the dumping poses health hazards, and so we can’t sit idle,” Das said. Lack of civic sense among the public is the root cause for the situation and they were keeping strict vigil on the private plots, he added.

“I have instructed sanitary inspectors to find the owners of the plots and ask them to build boundary walls to prevent dumping. If the landowners fail to obey, we will take legal action against them in the interest of sanitation and public health,” Das said.

“The garbage spills on to the road and the space for vehicles narrows down. It is a common sight,” said Minu Subudhi, a resident of the VIP Colony in Kamapalli, where a private plot is being used for dumping.