Bhubaneswar, Oct. 16: Lack of basic civic amenities and haphazard parking beset the ancient Khandagiri-Udayagiri caves and Lingaraj Temple, which are some of the most popular tourist destinations in the city.

The absence of safe drinking water kiosks and toilets at these places is a major problem for tourists many of whom come not only from various parts of the state and outside but also from other countries.

About 50 buses are parked at the bus stand near the Khandagiri caves on weekends and public holidays. But, lack of drinking water and unusable toilets reflect the sorry state of affairs of the site.

The bus stand has been leased out on tender by the Odisha State Road and Transport Corporation. Local vehicles have to pay Rs 50 while those from outside pay Rs 100 as parking fees there.

The water posts with six taps are lying either broken or unused as there is no water. There are four toilets, but all of them are unusable as they do not have water facilities and one of them is filled with filth. The lone tube well at the bus stand does not serve the purpose of providing safe drinking water to the tourists. "We are not sure whether the water from the tube well is safe enough to drink. The authorities should arrange for safe drinking water facilities for tourists at the spot," said Nirmalya Kar, 47, a tourist from East Midnapore in Bengal.

He added that lack of toilet facilities was also a problem at the bus stand. "Women face a lot of problems due to lack of toilets," Kar added.

The bus stand is not being maintained properly as is evident from the waste that litters the place. "The area is filthy. It is not cleaned on a daily basis," said Narottam Behera, 57, a tea seller. Asish Mohanty, 45, a paediatrician at a private hospital in the area, said: "Khandagiri has already attained notoriety for criminal activities and poor civic upkeep. The bus stand and the area around it should be maintained well for the sake of tourists as well as residents."

Besides, haphazardly-parked small vehicles near the entrance of the caves create roadblocks at the busy stretch of the road that leads to two prominent private hospitals and residential complexes. Vehicles, including ambulances, often get stuck in traffic in the area.

"Absence of parking facility for small vehicles at such a prominent tourist destination is simply unacceptable. Small vendors selling ice cream and snacks also contribute to the problem," said Manish Jaiswal, 34, a businessman and resident of Aiginia.

On the other hand, Lingaraj Temple, one of the most remarkable religious structures in the state, portrays a picture of civic apathy. The area around the temple is choc-a-bloc with vehicles that are often parked haphazardly due to lack of proper parking provision. Since Lingaraj temple is one of the most prominent Shiv temples in the country, it attracts devotees not only from across India but also neighbouring Nepal.

Buses carrying devotees can be seen parked on the road from near Srikhetra Apartment to the temple leading to traffic congestion. Besides, the private parking area in front of the main entrance of the temple gets waterlogged after rain. "It is very difficult to wade through water from the parking area to the temple during the rainy season," said Amarendra Panigrahi, 37, a sales tax professional and resident of Rasulgarh.

He added that poor upkeep of the parking place was a huge problem for visitors. Panigrahi said the civic authorities have neglected the temple for long and in order to make visiting the temple a pleasant experience, the civic problems need to be addressed as soon as possible.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said he was aware of the problems plaguing the surroundings of the temple and was doing the needful to address them. He added that the civic body had been carrying out cleanliness drives at the temple surroundings on a regular basis.

He added that the problem regarding sanitation and lack of civic amenities at Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves would be addressed shortly. A cleanliness drive would be undertaken in the area.

A traffic official said haphazardly parked small vehicles would be penalised. "We have urged the civic body to construct a dedicated parking space for small vehicles," he said.