Cuttack: Rampant disposal of plastic waste by people have left the municipal corporation in a quandary as they choke the drainage channels.

Officials of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation conceded that polythene carry bags below 50 microns were still being used rampantly, ignoring the restrictions, and the city's main surface water channels had turned into dumping zones for the plastic waste. Consequently, the unregulated use and disposal of poly bags and other forms of plastic has led to clogged drainage system, resulting in more waterlogging.

For several decades, waterlogging during the monsoon has been a common problem in the city. The problem has heightened as these days streets get waterlogged after less than 30 minutes of rainfall as the water cannot pass through the clogged drains.

Municipal commissioner Bikash Ranjan Mohapatra said a bulk of this waste found its way into the surface water channels across the city. "In fact, it is turning out to be a Herculean task to remove the plastic waste from the main surface water channels in every three to four days," he said.

Mohapatra said the civic body would shortly prepare an action plan with assistance of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board to reduce, if not stop the use of plastic. "We will try to strictly enforce the ban on use of plastic carry bags below 50 microns by routine inspection and impose penalty on the violators," he said.

Local resident S.K. Kalimulaha said: "All the eateries, shops and street vendors should be strictly prevented from using poly bags. People should also try to use less of poly bags and stop littering them anywhere and everywhere."

Lawyer and anti-polythene activist Pravat Ranjan Dash said: "The municipal corporation should declare polythene zones in various parts of the city, which are major places of rampant littering of poly bags."