Ponds are open defecation spots in Odisha's Berhampur

Of the 42 ponds under Berhampur Municipal Corporation jurisdiction, most of them get dried up during summer and are neglected while a few others are polluted. 
Abandoned Badabandha pond at Bijipur in Berhampur | Express
Abandoned Badabandha pond at Bijipur in Berhampur | Express

BERHAMPUR: Natural ponds located in the Silk City have turned into pool of sewage and open defecation sites, making it breeding ground for water-borne diseases.  Of the 42 ponds under Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) jurisdiction, most of them get dried up during summer and are neglected while a few others are polluted. At some places, residents are using the dried up ponds for open defecation and dumping yard. 

Locals said Badabandha pond at Bijipur reflects civic apathy in maintaining the water bodies. Devotees visiting nearby temples used to depend on the pond for ablutions. Many devotees took bath in the pond before offering water to the Lord and the Goddess. Apart from that, servitors often washed temple utensils in the pond. But the polluted water bodies are now not suitable for human use, they said. During Danda Nacha festival, which concluded recently, artistes of different troupes and visitors even defecated in the open, causing the pond to turn into a sewage. 

Every year, the BeMC reportedly spends good amount of money for cleaning up the ponds. Even recently, the civic body constructed walking paths and cement chairs on the banks of several ponds, but left many others unattended. Despite several demands, no action has been taken to clean these ponds. People belonging to the economically backward section, who mostly depend on these water bodies for their day use, are the worst affected. Water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis are spreading in several areas of the city.

BeMC officials said, “We will send a team to inspect the area and steps will be taken to renovate the ponds.”

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