A notice board at the entrance of Indira Gandhi park in Bhubaneswar prohibiting visitors from carrying food and plastic materials. (Below) Heaps of garbage dumped inside the park. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 16: Indira Gandhi park seems to have turned into a garbage dump with litter lying all around it. Situated in the heart of the city, the park attracts a large number of visitors every day, who litter the place carelessly.

The garbage includes non-recyclable polythene bags and plastic bottles. The visitors bring in such material though the notice board at the entrance warns against food and plastic material being taken inside the park. However, visitors do not adhere to these instructions.

Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) is responsible for managing the park. But when it comes to garbage disposal, the authorities have done precious little to improve things. “This is nothing new. Heaps of garbage are found all over the place. Sometimes, the garbage is set on fire, which releases poisonous gasses into the environment,” said Harihar Samal, a government employee. He asked the authorities to prohibit visitors from taking plastic materials into the park.

The place has also become a breeding place for mosquitoes. “In the evening, mosquitoes can be seen around the area. Parks are meant for recreation, but with this kind of unhealthy environment the purpose of visiting a park gets lost,’ said Madhumita Barik, a student.

Security guards are being deployed by BDA to prohibit visitors from taking plastic materials inside the park. But the visitors are not bothered about the rules.

“The visitors must support the authorities to help maintain a clean environment. It is not possible to check thousands of visitors every day,” said a security guard deployed at the park. As per the norms, Bhubaneswar Municipality Corporation (BMC) only collects garbage created outside the parks. The responsibility of disposing the garbage lies with the BDA.

On the other hand, Ashoka N. Dhar, chief horticulturist of BDA, said compost is generated from the garbage and used for nurturing plants in the park.

“Leaves and other biodegradable material are treated to make compost. The plastic items will be removed very soon,” he said.

However, visitors expressed surprise over the new method of making compost. “How can they convert the non-degradable substances such as polythene and plastic bottles into bio-fertilisers,” said Subrat Kumar Sahoo, another visitor. He also requested the authorities to dispose of the garbage in a healthier manner.