Debris choke traffic in Berhampur

BERHAMPUR: Dumping of construction and demolition waste along roads has made commuting a nightmarish experience for residents of the Silk City besides affecting traffic on major thoroughfares.
Already facing difficulties due to narrow streets and roads, commuters are now staring at garbage dumps and construction materials like sand, boulders and bricks heaped on several important routes in the city. Besides posing problems for commuters, these materials are also adding to air pollution.

The problem has aggravated after the roads in the city were dug up for laying pipelines for Janibili project.
As per norms, the dug-up area should have been repaired immediately after the pipes were laid. But no such step was taken. Rather, excavated soil and boulders kept at the roadside made the streets narrower.
Though Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) has already been directed by the State Government to implement the Construction and Demolition Waste Management rules, the civic body is yet to carry out the order.

Notifying the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, the Union Government had State Governments to frame by-laws for urban local bodies to keep a check on irregular dumping of waste. Accordingly, the BeMC had requested residents not to store or dump construction materials on roads and warned of penalty. However, the civic body is yet to initiate action against the defaulters.Moreover, the BeMC needs to select a suitable location for dumping of debris as per norms. However, the civic body is yet act in this regard.