Garbage, foul smell mar festive mood at historic Cuttack Bali Yatra amid huge turnout

The grandeur of the historic Bali Yatra in Cuttack, considered Asia’s largest open-air trade fair, is being overshadowed by piles of garbage and a stench-filled environment that has sparked discontent among both visitors and traders.

At a time when the fair is reaching its climax and footfall continues to rise with flourishing trade, heaps of waste, clogged mobile toilets and poor sanitation across the fairground have drawn sharp criticism from the public.

Visitors And Traders Complain Of Poor Waste Management

Sources reported that from food stalls to public pathways, the fairground presents an unpleasant sight, with garbage strewn across walkways and open areas.

In several spots, plastic bags, leftover food, and discarded cups lie scattered as sanitation workers sweep them into heaps rather than removing them. Visitors say the unbearable stench and buzzing flies have made it difficult to even stand in certain zones.

“The piled garbage here creates such a foul smell that it becomes unbearable to pass through this stretch. The CMC officials are not lifting garbage over here. People who visit from outside the city get a very bad impression,” said Pramila Behera, a visitor.

Vendors too voiced frustration, claiming business has been hit as customers avoid the affected areas. “This issue has persisted for the last couple of days. Earlier, they maintained cleanliness, but now the garbage is not being lifted. I am unable to get customers at my stall,” said Santosh Sahu, a Dahibara seller at the fair.

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Overflowing Toilets, Stench Hit Key Pavilions

The newly introduced Dahibara Haat and sections near the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department pavilion have reportedly turned into hotspots of neglect. Visitors complain that mobile toilets remain unclean, with no regular water supply or flushing, spreading unbearable odour across surrounding stalls. Several refuse to even use the toilets, citing unhygienic conditions.

At some entry points, heaps of solid waste and plastic litter have accumulated, forcing pedestrians to change routes. Traders near these zones said footfall dropped sharply, resulting in a loss of sales.

CMC Defends Operations, Cites Heavy Usage

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC), responsible for maintaining sanitation at the fair, has outsourced cleaning work to a private agency for the duration of the event. The contract, worth around Rs 40 lakh, covers five days of waste collection and disposal.

Responding to complaints, CMC Commissioner Kirandeep Kaur Sahota said daily operations are being conducted through three garbage-lifting vehicles and on-ground teams.

“The problem is that when shops open in the morning, they again throw garbage on the internal roads. Some people are not using the toilets properly. We have set up a lifting team, and they are actively clearing any garbage as and when we get information,” Sahota told OTV.

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However, ground reports suggest that the cleaning drives remain inadequate given the crowd size and waste volume. With over a million visitors each day, vendors say the frequency of garbage collection and toilet cleaning has failed to match the scale of the event.