Mahanadi ghats cry for attention

SAMBALPUR:  At a time when much emphasis is being given on beautification of the city, the district administration seems to be not paying enough attention to the cleaning and restoration of Mahanadi ghats along Ring Road. While open defecation continues unabatedly, garbage is being dumped beside the stairs of the ghats. Even tractors carrying debris dump it here. Due to lack of cleaning, weeds and plantation can be seen on the surface of water.

After two-laning of Ring Road from Mandalia Ground to Nelson Mandela Chowk, many development projects have been taken up, including lighting and beautification works. Beautification of the footpath from the back side of Samleswari Temple complex to the second Mahanadi bridge that connects Chaurpur is pulling huge crowd making it a lively place in the evening. Amid all this, the district administration’s dream of a cleaner Mahanadi has apparently failed.

There have been instances in the past where individual social groups, along with administration, had launched awareness drive to keep the ghats serene and free from garbage. In 2017, a few days prior to a folk festival ‘Bate Ghate’, which was organised by Sambalpur Press Club along Ring Road, the club, with the support of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), had started an initiative to clean the oldest Samleswari Ghat. After cleaning the ghat, an exclusive evening ‘aarti’ was performed on the day of the festival. The drive was aimed at creating awareness among the people about the importance of a clean river bank. But later it was discontinued.

Again in 2018, Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) had organised a mini-marathon and launched a plantation drive along Mahanadi banks. The initiative was meant for kick-starting various beautification works and creating awareness among the people to stop open defecation near the bank. Though a part of the initiative proved to be a success, the awareness drive failed.