Bhubaneswar: The tension prevailing for the last three days in Daruthenga village on the outskirts of the capital city over the dumping of garbage at the Bhuasuni dumping yard eased today after the villagers removed the blockade on the Baranga-Chandaka road following a meeting with the police. But the villagers have given two days to the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take a final decision on this issue, raising the spectre of a fresh round of confrontation after the two-day deadline is over.
Talking to media persons, Bhabani Shankar Chaini, Additional Commissioner, (Enforcement) Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), said 51 truckloads of garbage were unloaded at the Bhuasuni dumping yard today after a meeting with the villagers.
Stating that the police has helped BMC in the unloading of the garbage, he hoped that the people of Daruthenga village will cooperate with the BDA in the setting up of the waste disposal treatment plant near their village.
“I hope that normalcy will prevail in the area very soon,” he added.
The villagers, on the other hand, have decided to continue their agitation in a peaceful manner till the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) shifts the dumping yard and the proposed waste treatment plant.
“We had assured the DCP yesterday that we will continue our peaceful agitation and remove the blockade from the road. And we have removed the blockade today,” a member of the Daruthenga Village Peace Committee member told OTV.
He said the committee will have a meeting with the BMC commissioner in a couple of days after which the committee will take a call on its future course of action.
But he made it clear that the villagers will continue their agitation till both the dumping yard and the proposed waste treatment plant are shifted to Tulsadeipur.
“We demand immediate shifting of the dumping yard and the proposed plant. People of our village are not able to come out of their houses due to the stench emanating from the dumping yard. Even the children are not able to have their mid-day meal in the school due to the foul smell. BMC authorities should come to this place and find a permanent solution at the earliest, failing which we will block the road and continue our agitation till our demands are met,” said a villager.