CUTTACK: Failure of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to lift immersion waste after Durga Puja has worsened the condition of Kathajodi river bed at Devi Gada in the city.The five-day festival concluded with immersion ceremony conducted from Tuesday night to Thursday morning.
CMC had dug up as many as three temporary ponds on Kathajodi river bed to facilitate safe and pollution-free immersion of idols. As many as 170 puja committees had immersed idols of Goddess Durga and Lord Hara-Parbati in the ponds.
Even as the civic body officials are claiming to have cleaned up the three ponds immediately after conclusion of the immersion ceremony, waste can still be seen strewn across the river bed. Apart from puja waste, the river bed is littered with hazardous and non-biodegradable polythene bags, water pouches, etc.
“The civic body has haphazardly lifted immersion waste material from the three temporary ponds. No official seems to have supervised the cleaning and sanitation work,” said locals. The negligence of the civic body officials in disposing of immersion waste material and garbage iolates NGT guidelines.Mayor Subhas Singh said “The civic body will cleaning the ponds and river bed properly.”