Berhampur, June 30: Busy roads and squares around important buildings here have turned into dump yards for the municipal corporation.

The busy square near the City Hospital, the ANM Centre, the Queens of the Missions Church and the State Bank of India building has become a filthy, congested place. The Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been using the spot, which is also used as a private bus halt, as a garbage transit point.

BMC health officer Subhakanta Das said: "The civic body at ward No. 19 uses the space as a transit garbage dumping point. However, we dispose off the garbage at regular intervals."

He added that the civic officials had placed a 3-metric tonne dustbin there for public use. However, many do not throw the garbage into the dustbin and scatter them all around, which is a matter of concern for the corporation. "During monsoon, the situation deteriorates," said Das.

Nearby areas, including Old Bus Stand, Gate Bazaar, and Khallikote College Road, are populated by businessmen. The residents also dump garbage at the square. "Many organisations and persons had approached me to shift the garbage yard from the square," Das said.

"The road is a part of national highway No. 16. The highways authority is planning to widen the road. We are going to shift the dumping yard soon," said Das.

However, he declined to identify the place, to where the garbage transit point would be shifted. "Around 20 tonnes of garbage generates from the area including Old Bus Stand, Berhampur Stadium, Utkal Ashram Road and Khallikote College," Das said.

Appa Rao, a driver of a private passenger bus plying from here to Paralakhemundi, said the traffic scenario at the square was horrible. "Most buses halt there for few minutes. But, the garbage yard has made the place worse. The yard must be shifted to some other place and the traffic movement should be further streamlined," Rao said.

Social activist Prabhat Kumar Mohanty had threatened to launch an agitation if the civic authority denies shifting the garbage point. "I am astonished to see that the BMC is still using such a busy area as a garbage dumping yard. Everyone must discourage it," Mohanty said.

Disposing such huge amount of garbage with limited infrastructure is definitely a Herculean task. "We have kept 3-metric tonne dustbins at 10 road points to curb open dumping, make the city clean and facilitate smooth traffic on the roads. The number of open dumping spaces on private lands in the city would be around 50," Das said.