SUNDARGARH: Residents of Sundargarh district headquarter town are up in arms against the municipality for the deteriorating sanitation scenario alleging failure of services by the contractor and undue additional user fee charge for garbage collection.
Fearing spread of vector borne disease including dengue due to poor public sanitation, piles of stinking garbage and unclean drains, a delegation of the town residents led by former municipality councillor Himanshu Sarangi on Thursday met Sundargarh Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan and handed over a memorandum to him. They urged the Collector to suspend user fee collection and also improve sanitary services.
The arbitrary decision to collect Rs 40 per month from each user irrespective of small or big household and commercial establishment for garbage collection is not acceptable, said Sarangi adding, “The user fee will be paid only if the Municipality follows standard guidelines of solid waste management, consults town residents and maintains transparency of the collection and use of the user fee.”
He claimed sanitary works of 19 municipality wards have been outsourced to a sanitary contractor for Rs 42 lakh per month. But, garbage lifting has not been regular, while application of bleaching powder for disinfection, spraying of mosquito larvicide oil and cleaning of drains are seldom taken up. “How can the newly-elected municipality chairperson, without approval of the council, allow collection of user fee of `40 per month from all? ” he questioned.
Explaining that as per the conditions of the sanitary contract agreement, the contractor should arrange at least 10 vehicles for garbage lifting, he said the municipality has engaged 12 of its employees for six Battery Operated Vehicles sourced from District Mineral Foundation fund for garbage lifting. Yet, the outcome has not been satisfactory, Sarangi added.
He alleged special drain cleaning drive before monsoon is just an eyewash. Sundargarh town residents, Pranab Singh and Sunil Mahana said garbage lifting has not been regular as at times stinking piles of garbage alongside roads make life miserable. They said when the sanitary services have not improved, user fee collection from all households at uniform rate of `40 is unjustified.