Wastewater comes out of a housing complex at Patia. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, March 13: More than 5,000 residents of Shree Vihar area at Patia under ward No. 2 of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) have launched a fight against an apartment complex which is releasing its wastewater on the main road of the area.

Besides, the solid waste generated by the apartment complex is also littered all over the road and the nearby areas.

While members of the Shree Vihar Welfare Association have urged the BMC authorities to take steps against the blatant violation of the Orissa Municipal Corporation Act by the promoters of the apartment complex comprising 30 flats, the BMC authorities have carried out a preliminary survey and are contemplating action against the residential complex.

Deputy municipal commissioner Priyadarshi Mohapatra said: “A team comprising the recovery officer and a health inspector of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has visited the site and filed a report which indicated that the apartment complex is violating the OMC Act. Causing damage to a public road by discharging wastewater and polluting the environment is punishable under Sections 649 and 650 of the Act.’’

Mohapatra said the BMC officials would plug the sewerage drain and force the apartment complex authorities to do their own arrangement by constructing an alternative drain, soak pit or wastewater tank which could be cleaned regularly by service providers on payment.

“As the wastewater is acidic in nature, it will not only damage the road, but its accumulation would also give rise to mosquito menace. The apartment owners will also be fined for this,” he added.

Secretary of the association Basant Kumar Choudhury said: “The local residents were very angry on the issue, as, on some occasions, wastewater was found flowing as far as the middle of our colony. Local residents were facing problems while passing through the road on their two-wheelers. Some of them were even mulling the idea to lock the entire complex as the authorities were not listening to their pleas. However, we did not want to take law into our hands and apprised the civic authorities and the local councillor.’’

Councillor of ward No. 2 Sanjay Kumar Sethi admitted that violation of the civic norm has become a habit for many apartment complexes in the ward.

Earlier, another complex also violated the norms and was using the main road to discharge their wastewater. But after the local residents raised their voice, the apartment owners were forced to address the problem.

“The apartment authorities have no right to release their wastewater onto the main road. They should take immediate steps to rectify it. To solve the problem in an amicable way, I have also contacted the original landowner who is a resident of Patia village. We are exploring all possibilities to stop the apartment complex promoters from doing this,’’ the councillor added.