Cuttack, Oct 16: The municipal corporation has geared up to make Bali yatra an eco-friendly event.

As a part of its proposal for a clean Bali yatra, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has decided to collect user fee from various kiosks for better management of solid waste.

This is for the first time that the civic body has planned to ensure proper collection and disposal of garbage generated during the weeklong Bali yatra festival that starts from November 6.

“We are planning to collect a minimum user fee of Rs 500 from the big corporate houses and others keen to set up food kiosks during Bali yatra,” said CMC commissioner Gyana Das. Das said dustbins would be provided to the kiosks that will pay user fee.

The fee sought will ensure systematic collection and subsequent transportation of the garbage by the sanitation staff till the fair ends.

The move is likely to play a crucial role in keeping a check on dumping of garbage generated from various food kiosks and other consumer products during Bali yatra.

Apart from this, it will act as a deterrent for others in littering the garbage generated from their respective kiosks.

Usually, the civic body faces problems in clearing the waste during Bali yatra even though over 100 sanitation workers are engaged in disposal of solid waste.

It also takes nearly three days to clear the waste from the ground after completion of the fair.

“We will also set up special squads to ensure a complete ban on the use of polythene by various kiosks to sell their products during the fair,” Das added.

At a preparatory meeting held today evening, the district administration has decided to expand the area of the fair for better crowd management. “Instead of focusing on increasing the number of kiosks, we have asked various agencies and officials to create more space for facilitating easy movement of the crowd,” said collector Nirmal Chandra Mishra.

The district administration has asked the officials to dedicate more space between various kiosks and for the first time, entry and exit route signage will be put up at various places.

The decisions come in the wake of problems faced by visitors inside various kiosks set up at the fair last year.

Besides, the district administration has also decided to allot more space for parking of vehicles.

A special squad comprising officials of CMC, Cuttack Development Authority and the city police will be constituted to put a check on collection of exorbitant parking fee from visitors.