Balangir: The town's citizens' committee has threatened to hit the streets if the municipality failed to address acute dust pollution here.

Members of the Balangir Citizens' Committee's general body met on Wednesday and expressed concern over increasing dust pollution in the town and alleged that the municipality showed a total lack of concern about the issue that can cause serious health hazards.

The forum has intimated the municipal authority to take proactive steps to address the issue or the committee members would stage an agitation in front of the municipality office from January 19.

The road dust cleaner machine that the municipality acquired for more than Rs 1 lakh a few years back itself gathering dust in the municipality office and has not been used at all, a member alleged.

Road widening work in different parts of the town has also added to the acute dust problem.

Town resident Rajib Lochan Mahapatra said Balangir has always had dust issues.

"This is because of the poor maintenance of roads. It is acute during the dry seasons - winter and summer. The road widening work now has made it worse. The municipality is totally indifferent to the problem," he said.

Mahapatra also attributed the increasing dust pollution to the plying of heavy vehicles. "As Balangir doesn't have a bypass road, all heavy vehicles ply inside the town and cause more dust pollution."

Balangir Citizens' Committee president Bhabani Sankar Satapathy said if the issue was not addressed, it could lead to serious health problems.

"Many people have dust allergy and they are facing health issues. The problem should be treated as a priority and immediate steps taken to address it," he said.