A pond in Sambalpur. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, Feb. 21: Water bodies in the city are crying for attention as lack of maintenance has put a question mark on their existence.

Local residents said there were 98 water bodies in the municipality area, in various states of neglect.

“There was a time when the water bodies were used as the source of drinking water. But lack of maintenance has made the water unsafe for use,” said Ranjan Panda, a local resident.

“The catchment areas of ponds have been blocked because of construction around the water bodies. The recharging ability of the water bodies has also decreased in Sambalpur. Moreover, aquatic life, which keeps the water purified, is in danger. Garbage dumped along the ponds is also making the water unhygienic.

“Traditional water bodies in urban areas are on the verge of extinction. They need proper maintenance. The municipality should take the initiative to restore them,” said local resident Newton Ray.

“There is heaps of garbage along several water bodies in the city. Weeds in several ponds are not being cleaned, making the water unsafe for use. Encroachment along these ponds is another problem. Earlier, people were using the water of the ponds for drinking purpose, but now, it is not even fit to bathe in. Several ponds have disappeared from the city because of lack of maintenance,” he said.

According to officials of Sambalpur municipality, there are 12 water bodies in the municipality area, which are maintained by the civic body.

“Every year, officials clean these water bodies. There are several ponds in the municipality area, but 12 are under the municipality. We take the initiative to maintain these water bodies,” said chairperson of Sambalpur Municipality Reena Trivedi.

Trivedi said the civic body was also taking up the cleaning work of some ponds that did not belong to the municipality, but were located in the municipality area.

“We clean other ponds for the convenience of the local residents. Every year, the municipality allocates funds for this purpose,” she said.