Bhubaneswar: Commuters continue to face problems on different city stretches as illegally dumped construction and demolition waste and raw materials acting as impediments to free movement.
The problem is compounded in the inner lanes as the narrow width makes it difficult for commuters to manoeuvre.
The dumped materials not only obstruct roads and create chaos, but the heaps of materials also pose threat to road safety.
Localities including Kharavela Nagar, Shampur, GGP Colony, Unit-I, Unit-III, Sailashree Vihar, Niladri Vihar and Old Town are the worst hit as these areas are witnessing an array of road and drain work at present. Residents of GGP Colony are the worst sufferers among them as a stretch is completely blocked by these materials.
"It is not only the debris, but raw construction materials, that pose a risk for us. The materials are dumped right on the roads, making passage difficult. One road is completely blocked in our area, forcing us to take alternative routes. There has to be a regulation on it," said GGP Colony resident Tutu Baliarsingh.
The situation arises because of the civic body's failure to implement the construction and demolition waste management rules properly in the city. The new rules put a bar on dumping or putting such materials in public places, including roads, and also allow the civic body to levy fines on violators.
"It is the duty of the civic administration to clear such debris from the sides of roads and put a ban on storing the raw materials. However, it seems that they are least bothered about the safety of people. The civic authorities themselves are violating the norms at several places," said Narayan Ojha, a resident of Unit-III.
Ever since the notification for the new construction and demolition waste management rules was issued by the Union government in March 2016, the civic body, along with other line agencies, made several efforts to properly implement the norms. They had identified two dumping sites and decided to transport the illegally dumped material and incur the cost from the violators.
However, the initiatives actually bore result for a mere month or two after which all their efforts was back to square one with the civic body turning blind eye on violations. The city residents remained at the receiving end.
"It is irresponsible of the civic body to stay idle in such a situation," said Kharavela Nagar resident Nitesh Narula.
Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena, however, hinted at different plans to reinstate the regulations properly. "We already have separate dumping sites for such waste and also drafted a plan. We need to hire an agency for its execution and are preparing a tender to hire one that will take care of the waste and levy fines on violators," said Jena.
