CUTTACK: Illegal dumping of construction and demolition debris at the roadside continues unabated in the Millennium City as Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has turned a blind eye to the menace.
Going by the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016, formulated by the Government of India, the civic body had imposed restrictions on dumping of construction waste by the roadside in June 2020 and initiated steps for implementation of CMC Solid Waste Management By-Laws, 2017.
As per the by-law, residents are required to store construction and demolition waste separately as and when generated, his/her own premises and dispose of them as per the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016.
The CMC had also identified four places near Krushak Bazar, Sati Chaura waste management centre, a vacant place near Upar Deula Sahi Transit House and a place near Central School at Nuapada for dumping of such waste.
The civic body had imposed user fees for shifting of construction waste to the identified sites and safe disposal and management as per the guideline of the Central Pollution Control Board.
The civic body had also enacted in its by-laws that a fine amounting `to 5,000 would be imposed on a person found in violation. However, in the absence of enforcement, illegal dumping of construction wastes at the roadside can be seen in several residential and market areas in the city often leading to traffic problems for the commuters apart from polluting the environment.
“Construction and demolition debris illegally dumped at the roadside near Bhakta Madhu Bidyapitha, Sutahat Uppar Sahi and Dargha Bazar flower market have been causing much inconvenience to us. However, the menace of the illegal activity is yet to come to the notice of the civic body,” said a local.
Moreover, not a single person is yet been fined in the last two years, which shows the gross negligence on part of the civic body towards carrying out the enforcement. However, a CMC official said steps are being taken towards carrying out enforcement activities to curb the menace.