CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Thursday pulled up the civic authorities over the unhygienic and neglected state of the Balijatra grounds following the conclusion of the annual festival and warned of initiating action against the errant officials.
The division bench of Justices SK Sahoo and V Narasingh expressed serious concern over massive piles of garbage left uncleared even days after the fair, which was held from November 5 to November 13.
Taking cognisance of media reports placed on record by the Advocates’ Committee, the bench observed that the fairground had turned into an ugly space filled with heaps of garbage lying scattered all around.
According to submissions before the bench, the grounds remain strewn with empty food packets, single-use thermocol plates, cups, tarpaulin sheets, polythene bags and plastic waste. Traders and hawkers who participated in the nine-day festival reportedly left behind heaps of waste that are yet to be attended to, with areas previously occupied by food stalls described as the worst affected.
The court also noted that the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) had outsourced cleaning and sanitation responsibilities to a private agency for `35 lakh. Despite this, the agency is said to have failed to manage the massive load of solid waste generated during the fair.
Appearing virtually, CMC commissioner Kirandeep Kaur Sahota informed the bench that adequate manpower would remain deployed till November 27 and assured that both upper and lower grounds would be cleaned by then. She added instructions had already been issued to prevent the burning of waste.
The court underscored the gravity of such violations, observing that waste burning causes irreparable health hazards and the same shall be avoided. It warned that if any incident of waste burning is reported, it “would be constrained to initiate action against the errant officials”.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on December 11 with direction to the CMC to file a compliance affidavit supported with video footage. The bench also permitted the Advocates’ Committee to inspect the upper and lower Balijatra grounds and the riverfront after December 1.