Bhubaneswar: The municipal corporation has decided to adopt a "zero tolerance policy" for those encroaching on drains or roads in the city in an effort to fight waterlogging.

To begin with, the civic body has served notices to the authorities of Iskcon temple and Presidency Hotel in Nayapalli for encroaching on the road and contributing to waterlogging in the area.

The show-cause notice issued to Iskcon temple asks why action should not be taken against the religious body for encroachment under Section 407 of the Odisha Municipal Corporation Act, 2003, and BMC Users' Charge Regulation, 2015.

The notice issued to Hotel Presidency for using the nearby national highway for parking of guests' cars. The pollution control board has also been asked to inspect the hotel.

Sources said the hotel did not have a proper sewage treatment plant and was discharging wastewater on the road. The pollution control board is expected to take action after the inspection.

Besides, the civic body has fined Zings Spice World in Soubhagya Nagar Rs 25,000 for dumping debris on the road. Another show-cause notice was issued to Unit-VIII DAV Public School for a similar offence.

The civic body has also decided to maintain the width of 12 metres throughout the length of the drainage channel No. 10 in Nayapalli and issue "stop construction notices" to those found encroaching on the drain. Encroachment has narrowed down the channel at several places.

"We did have a good drainage system, but it is due to encroachment that the city has been facing waterlogging issues," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

He said enforcement activities would be intensified and the violators would face action. "The drainage division has been asked to prepare a separate drainage master plan for Nayapalli."

Residents, on the other hand, remained sceptical. "I hope the plans and action of the civic body materialise and the situation improves. It should have been done much earlier," said Rita Sahu, who stays at IRC Village.