BHUBANESWAR: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is in the dock for allegedly conducting waste processing at its Bhuasuni yard without any valid authorisation from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB). An inspection by the SPCB’s regional office revealed the authorisation under Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, for setting up and operation of waste processing/waste disposal facility at Bhuasuni was valid up to March 31, 2018.
The BMC has engaged private agencies for management of garbage. About 640 tonne of waste collected from different dumping spots in the city every day is initially taken to a temporary transit station at Dasaraja Tangi, behind Sainik School, and then transported to Bhuasuni yard.
Though seven years have passed since the authorisation was granted on November 30, 2013 for the waste processing facility, the civic body has failed to set up the unit. The inspection found the boundary wall constructed around the dumping yard was broken and damaged at several places allowing access to stray animals. Since no segregation of waste is carried out prior to dumping of waste at the landfill site, the waste along with plastic wastes/polythenes often catch fire and spread over the dumping area.
“Such type of fire/fume hazard in the waste dump site creates environmental nuisance around the vicinity. Implementation of the existing land fill site is not being carried out as per the rules. No inspection well has been provided within 50 metre of the periphery of sanitary landfill sites for monitoring of ground water quality,” stated the inspection report.
The inquiry also found that no scientific and engineering land filling was carried out by the BMC and development of the green belt has not been taken up.Suggesting that the civic body should be vigilant towards control of burning of waste at the dumping site and reconstruct boundary wall along with a gate at the entrance to restrict entry of animals, the SPCB has recommended to construct garland drain to arrest surface run off, development of thick green belt and deployment of security guard at the site.