CUTTACK: The administration’s efforts to ensure a clean and green Dussehra celebration have proved to be futile as the Mahanadi riverbank stretching from Matamatha to lower Baliyatra ground is littered with waste including hazardous thermocol sheets, plastic flowers and polythene bags in the aftermath of festivities.
Ahead of the festival, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and even the puja committees had assured an environment-friendly celebration of Durga Puja. The civic body had engaged a large number of sanitation workers to remove the garbage left behind near puja pandals across the city and its safe disposal.
But without any supervision, the sanitation workers collected the garbage accumulated near the pandals and dumped it on the riverbank, said sources.
Tulasipur resident and morning walker Rajmohan Lenka said a large portion of the roadside near Mahanadi riverbank is not only littered with puja waste but also garbage including abandoned mattresses and household articles. Apart from creating an unhygienic atmosphere, the puja waste and other garbage is also polluting the river. Stray cattle and animals suffer a lot after consuming the hazardous items.
Another resident said the Cuttack DCP’s office and Cantonment police station are located near Gadagadia Ghat on the ring road. But even the cops are failing to keep a tab on the illegal dumping of waste on the nearby riverbank.
While efforts to elicit response from CMC commissioner Anam Charan Patra and deputy commissioner (sanitation) Ipsita Mishra proved futile, mayor Subhas Singh said steps would be taken to remove the puja waste dumped along Mahanadi riverbank.