By Express News Service
BHUBANESWAR:The State Government has vowed to host a plastic-free Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup at Kalinga Stadium here from November 28 to December 16. The initiative is aimed at showcasing the Capital as an environment friendly city.
Sources said, the stake holders are keen on presenting Bhubaneswar as a green and clean city to players and delegates from foreign countries. The event is expected to boost sports tourism.Earlier, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced a complete ban on use of plastic across the State starting from October 2. The first phase of the ban would include cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Puri and the entire State would be made plastic-free over next two years, the Chief Minister had said.
Odisha generates around 27,859 tonne of plastic waste per annum. Earlier, the State had banned the use, sale, import, storage and littering of polythene carry bags of less than 20 microns thickness under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The Government will take utmost care to avoid use of plastic in and around Kalinga Stadium during the mega sports event.
Eviction drive near stadium
A massive eviction drive was carried out near gate number 1 of Kalinga Stadium along Behera Sahi road on Thursday. Around 31 illegal structures were demolished in a joint operation conducted by Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), General Administration Department and Commissionerate Police at Gauda Basti near the stadium’s boundary wall. The officials said 21 asbestos and tin covered houses, five tin covered shops, three thatched houses and two thatched cow sheds were demolished and removed, following which the Construction and Demolition Waste team started lifting the debris from the site.
The requisition for the eviction was made by Deputy Commissioner, South-West-Zone of BMC, on Wednesday. Four excavators and a cow catcher of BMC were engaged in the eviction drive. “The eviction drive will continue for making the surroundings near Kalinga Stadium free from encroachment. This will create a better ambience around the stadium ahead of the Hockey World Cup,” Additional Commissioner-cum-Member Enforcement, BDA, Bhabani Shankar Chayani said.
