Villagers oppose dumping of garbage

KENDRAPARA: Residents of Nagapura and Ostapur on Friday opposed dumping of garbage along the main road of the villages by Kendrapara Municipality. Pollution from the garbage would affect their farm lands, they said. The villagers, including women alleged that instead of dumping garbage in the authorised yard at Hazaribagicha, civic body officials are disposing of waste along the road near the villages on the outskirts of town, polluting the areas.

When garbage is transported for such a distance, it spills on the roads, dirtying several stretches, said Manasi Sahoo of Ostapur. “After rain, the garbage flows into the nearby agricultural fields causing extensive pollution and hampers farm activities.

Despite several requests, no step has been taken in this regard. We stopped three garbageladen tractors on Friday protesting the apathy of the civic body. If municipality authorities fail to take any step, we will intensify the agitation,’ said Bilasini Jena of Nagapura. Maheswar Sahoo of Ostapur alleged that sanitation workers of the civic body have been dumping garbage unscientifically though the yard covering three acres of land at Hazaribagicha was set up last year. “We demand before the district administration to take legal action against them under the law,” he added.

Contacted, Executive Officer of Kendrapara Municipality Deba Prasad Bal said, “We have already acquired three acres of land at Hazaribagicha to start a solid waste management plant. Following heavy rains, the road leading to the garbage yard has been damaged. Later, sanitation workers resorted to dumping of waste along the village road. However, steps are being taken to clear the garbage from the road within three days. “We have also started repair work of the road that connects to the dumping yard,” he added.