CUTTACK: Even as Mahanadi is struggling with pollution with heaps of garbage, silt, expired medicines and food material dumped on its bed, chopped trees are now being disposed of in the river at Gadagadia ghat in the Millennium City. The practice, in blatant violation of National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, continues unabated with the district administration and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) turning a blind eye to it. On Tuesday, different parts of chopped trees including branches, trunks and twigs were unloaded from a mini truck and dumped on the river bed in full public view at around 4 pm. The vehicle entered the river bed through a morrum road from Ring Road in front of the office of the Cuttack DCP without being obstructed.
Dumping of heaps of garbage on the river bed has become a regular affair. It is alleged that vehicles belonging to CMC and private contractors dump solid waste and debris on the river leading to resentment among environmentalists. The NGT in 2017 had asked the district administration to ensure that garbage and waste are not dumped on the river as they cause pollution. The green body had stated that residents of low lying areas will be the worst affected due to the pollution on the river bed, said a city based environmentalist.
The administration had earlier erected barriers and installed sign boards asking people to refrain from dumping waste on the river bed. However, the directive is being openly flouted in the city due to lack of adequate awareness and enforcement activities. “With no stringent action initiated against the violators, dumping of waste continues unabated,” he said.
Cantonment IIC Iman Kalyan Naik said that she had directed PCR teams to check the illegal practice. She said 3-4 vehicles have been fined for dumping waste on the river bed. The vehicle owners who get work orders from the sanitation wing of CMC, however, claim that they have no knowledge of the prescribed location for dumping the waste, the IIC said. Cuttack Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani was not available for his comment on the matter.