Bhubaneswar: Ongoing drain de-siltation operations being executed by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) in the city have inconvenienced people as the uncleared sludge creates hazardous conditions.
Residents complained that the civic body’s inefficient waste management left them grappling with narrowed roads and unhygienic conditions in several localities, including Rasulgarh, Sailashree Vihar, Niladri Vihar, and Old Town. The extracted sludge in these localities remained unattended on roadsides for extended periods. Local residents reported that the accumulated waste not only restricted traffic movement but also created severe health hazards.
“The stagnant sludge is becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and the stench is unbearable. While such a situation might be manageable on wider roads, internal streets have become extremely congested due to the accumulated sludge,” Jitendra Mahapatra, an Old Town resident, said.
The BMC initiated the drain cleaning project with the aim of completing it by the end of May to prevent waterlogging during the monsoon. However, recent unseasonal rains exposed the flaws in their execution strategy. Residents observed that much of the extracted sludge was getting washed back into the drains, effectively nullifying the cleaning efforts. The matter was also raised in a recently held council meeting where several corporators stressed completing the de-silting work at the earliest.
Prashant Sahoo, a resident of Sailashree Vihar, highlighted another crucial aspect of the problem. “The primary issue stems from irregular waste disposal, especially plastic materials that clog the drainage system,” he said. Sahoo, a software engineer, said recently a brief rainfall demonstrated how quickly the cleaned drains could overflow when extracted sludge returned to the drains. “The BMC should take responsibility for this and clean the drains properly,” he said.
Responding to public complaints, city mayor Sulochana Das stated that they assigned private sanitation agencies to remove and transport the sludge to designated dumping grounds. “We will investigate any lapses in their service and take appropriate action,” she said.
Sonali Patra, a resident of Sishu Vihar, said the BMC’s current de-silting initiative is necessary for the city’s drainage system, but it requires better co-ordination and an efficient waste disposal system to achieve its intended purpose without causing public inconvenience.