SAMBALPUR: The district administration on Wednesday sensitised residents on making the Ring Road along the Mahanadi river here open defecation-free (ODF).Collector Samarth Verma accompanied by CRPF personnel took a walk on the Ring Road early in the morning to sensitise people on avoiding open defecation. The CRPF personnel were blowing whistles to alert the people who were defecting in the open and they requesting the residents not to continue with the practice. Apart from the CRPF personnel, Verma and Commissioner of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) Bimalendu Ray also sensitised people urging them to make the road clean. The campaign which began at around 5 am, continued till 7 am.
The Ring Road is a preferred destination for many city dwellers for defecation. The breeze blowing across the road stinks. With the Ring Road being widened with installation of heritage light, the administration is making efforts to improve sanitation along the road which has potential to draw crowd in the evenings.
Verma said CRPF personnel have extended their support voluntarily to help the administration for the cause. The CRPF personnel sensitised the people about hygiene besides asking the people to use domestic and public toilets and avoid open defecation. The response from the people was encouraging. They have planned to continue the campaign with the help of CRPF personnel for at least a week. They are also planning to impose fine on the violators in days to come, he added.
The Ring Road was constructed in 1997 to prevent flood water from getting into the city. The SMC has already chalked out a plan to carry out various beautification work along the road at an estimated cost of ` three lakh. The civic body has constructed 11 community toilets along 3.5 km stretch of the Ring Road from Mandlia to Nelson Mandela Chowk and allowed the public to use it free of cost. On February 17, the SMC had launched ‘Sauchamukta Mahanadi Abhiyan’ to make the Ring Road ODF.
Sanitation campaign
● Collector Samarth Verma accompanied by CRPF personnel took a walk on the Ring Road early in the morning to sensitise people on avoiding open defecation
● The campaign which began at around 5 am, continued till 7 am
● On February 17, the SMC had launched ‘Sauchamukta Mahanadi Abhiyan’ to make the Ring Road ODF