ROURKELA: Maintaining sanitation and traffic in the Smart City of Rourkela has become an Herculean task for the civic staff.
Even as the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) has embarked upon a special drive to get rid of traffic jams, unmindful dumping of garbage and make footpaths free from encroachment, the results have not been satisfactory. The habitual offenders refuse to budge.
The special enforcement drive was launched from January 2. The RMC limits have been divided into four zones with Rourkela ADM and RMC Administrator Monisha Banerjee, RMC Commissioner AK Mallick, Deputy Commissioner Shusma Bilung and Health Officer Dr BK Mishra leading four teams. The focus has been to boost public health and hygiene with proper disposal of garbage by all, cleaning of drains, sweeping of streets, prevention of encroachment of footpaths and roads and ensure smooth passage of vehicular traffic.
Sources said the densely-populated Wards 14 to 22, located along the Rourkela main road, are the biggest problem areas. Vendors in daily market area of the main road are habitual encroachers and never follow sanitation norms measures. Eight days back, the ADM had visited vegetable and fish market area and warned them of action. In the absence of regular monitoring, vendors continue to encroach the pavements and the main road from Mangal Bhawan to Bisra Square even as stocking of construction materials on roads, ongoing pipeline works and erratic parking continue to hinder traffic movement. However, to some extent, garbage lifting is improving.
Even as the RMC is increasingly laying thrust to score points in the Swachh Sarvekshan (cleanliness drive), the numbers of fish vendors opposite the Rourkela Government (Autonomous) College along the Panposh road and opposite the DAV Public School along the Ring Road is increasingly. These areas not only emanate foul smell, but are littered with waste materials of fish and the RMC is yet to take notice of it.
RMC Commissioner, AK Mallick claimed that gradually things are improving on the sanitation front. He added that they are creating awareness on fine provision of Rs 100 to Rs 5,000 for unmindful dumping of garbage and Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 for unauthorised dumping of construction debris. He said roadside vendors have been asked to place waste bins near their kiosks while, door-to-door collection of garbage and cleaning works are underway.