BHUBANESWAR: A week after the petrol pump explosion, shopkeepers and residents of Unit-VI area who suffered damage to their property have knocked the doors of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) seeking immediate assistance.
The explosion that took place on October 7 had caused extensive damage to commercial and residential properties. Such was the impact of the mishap that doors and windows of government quarters and apartments located within 200-metre radius of the site were damaged within seconds of the blast.
While some shopkeepers and residents have already approached the BMC seeking intervention of the Municipal Commissioner into the matter, others are planning to lodge their grievance with the civic body, sources said.
Madan Mohan Senapati, a 79-year-old man, living in one of the apartments in Ambedkar Enclave said the explosion smashed all glass panels of his house. The cupboards and doors have also sustained damage.
“My flat in D block of the enclave sustained maximum damage. Though I managed to clean the glasses, I have not been able to repair the windows and cupboards as the expenses will run into lakhs,” Senapati said.
The elderly man further said it wouldn’t be possible for him or his ailing wife to visit any Government office in this pandemic for which they are waiting for administrative support helplessly.
“Though there has been extensive damage caused to our residential society, no one from the Government visited us to give us any assurance about the recovery,” said SK Lenka, resident secretary of the Enclave.
He said damage to property in the enclave is being estimated and soon they will lodge grievance with authorities concerned seeking help.
Around eight to 10 applications have been submitted at the office of Zonal Deputy Commissioner of BMC South-West Zone Rabi Jethy.
“We have received the applications and forwarded it to the main office for further action,” Jethy said.
BMC Additional Commissioner Abanikant Patnaik said after completion of inquiry, the applications received will be forwarded to the IOCL for necessary action at their end.