BHUBANESWAR: With lakhs of people expected to throng the state capital during Durga Puja, the BMC has issued sanitation guidelines for the puja pandals in the city with a stress on maintaining cleanliness and hygiene.
The civic body has asked the puja committees to avoid single-use plastic and opt for biodegradable bags, leaf plates, clay pots and bamboo items etc., for distribution of prasad among the visitors. They have also been asked to place large-sized dustbins near pandals to check littering and hand over the waste to BMC garbage collection vehicles.
The Corporation has also stressed on keeping two separate dustbins for dry and wet waste and hand over floral waste to designated garbage collection vehicles. Emphasis has also been laid on ensuring adequate safety at the pandals for the devotees and taking steps to prevent electric short circuit. “Follow all fire safety rules and the preventive instructions issued by the department concerned,” the civic body stated.
BMC officials said sanitation manpower in the city has been increased for cleanliness work in view of the festivities. The BMC will collect waste from near the pandals twice every day till the festival is over, an official from the civic body said. He said the committees have also been instructed to carry out idol immersion only in temporary ponds readied by the civic body.