Even as garbage and waste management continues to be a pestering issue in the capital city, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is reportedly working on a plan to make Bhubaneswar dumping-free, by March/April 2024.
The issue reared its head again as people living within a 5-km radius of a Temporary Transit Centre (TTC) behind Sainik School alleged that they have been facing a nauseating atmosphere for the last seven days.
Speaking to the media, BMC commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange said, “Dumping of the garbage was a long-standing problem for the BMC at Daruthenga where it was going on for the last several years on 63 acres of land. But the BMC abiding by its commitment to the local people has stopped dumping garbage there from May 15, 2023, due to opposition from locals.”
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He also informed that bio-mining of the garbage piles has been started at the Daruthenga dumping yard and the entire 63 acres of land will be reclaimed in the next three or three and a half years. The development of a processing unit is underway. Local people will get the benefit of a full-fledged processing unit, he added.
As for the TTC near Sainik School, Kulange said that the dumping at the TTC is part of the process linked to Daruthenga. “We had earlier requested the people of Daruthenga to allow dumping for at least five to six months. The work to set up a full-fledged processing unit will be completed in the next five months. Its work will begin in the next 15 days. Now, we are bound to store the garbage at the TTC.”
“We are going to put in place a scientific system. Through trammels, waste will be separated. Plastic waste will be separated and good earth will be produced and will be used for landfilling. Plastic will be used for recycling. Machines have been set up at Daruthenga and its work will begin by 15 November," he stated.
As for the TTC, he said, “We have to turn the garbage as part of the process with a scientific method. We have to spread bio-culture to process the garbage. Due to turning, a foul smell is coming. In the last three days, we have increased the bio-culture so as to bring down the foul smell.”
The BMC Commissioner further stated, “I assure you all that we have taken permanent steps to end the garbage issue completely. Dumping will not happen. On a daily basis, we will process all the garbage.”