BJP threatens to intensify stir if garbage is not lifted within 48 hours

Expressing concern over failure of Bhubaneswar Municipality Corporation in putting in place a garbage disposal system, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday threatened to intensify their protests if garbage is not removed from Bubaneswar streets within 48 hours.
A BJP delegation led by Babu Singh later gheraoed the office of BMC.

BJP leader said, “Bhubaneswar has become a smart city on pen and paper. For last 14 days, garbage is not dumped at dump yards. Bhubaneswar residents are suffering because of the whimsical attitude of the state government.”

Another protestor said, “This situation is man-made.  Tenure of contractors who were earlier hired for the task has ended and new contractors have been given charge to dump garbage. Due to monetary dispute between former and current contractors, residents have facing such situation. That’s why BJP activists hit the street.”

Another activist said, “We would not allow mayor to use Bhubaneswar roads if problem related to dump yard is not sorted out.”
Meanwhile, BMC is dumping truckloads of garbage at the Temporary Transit Centre (TTC) near Sainik School for which the adjoining areas of school premises are now getting polluted.

BMC mayor Sulochana Das said “A bio compost process unit will be opened at Daruthenga. We had discussions with Daruthenga in this regard. Negotiation is going on. We held discussion with Daruthenga sarpanch, local MLA Sura Routray and BMC chairman.  Going by the condition of Daruthenga villagers, all garbage should be removed from yard then only they will allow trucks to dump garbage there.” 

Villagers of Daruthenga panchayat on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar have been blocking solid waste disposal trucks of BMC for last 14 days demanding immediate bio-mining of the waste dumped there. 

As the civic body has failed to keep its words, the villagers have not been allowing BMC trucks to dump waste at Bhuasuni dump yard for last few days.  Besides, the matter became serious following the death of a youth who died after being hit by a waste-laden truck earlier this month.  Irate locals denied the entry of garbage trucks to the dump yard for around two week.

Reported by OTV's Bibartan