Sanitation in Sambalpur town has been badly hit after villagers residing in the periphery of dumping yard at Jamadarpali prevented disposal of garbage at the place since January 7.
Even though Sambalpur Municipality formed a committee comprising eminent citizens of the town and facilitated dialogue with the protesting villagers, the talks failed to break the ice.
The villagers refused to budge from their stand and said they would not allow dumping of garbage in their village as it was polluting the environment.
While the town awaits Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Management (IMSWM) system, it generates about 70 tonne of garbage every day. The municipality had been pulled up by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) for dumping garbage all over the town. Eventually, it was decided to dispose of the garbage over 26 acres of land at Jamadarpali in the outskirts of Sambalpur town from 2011.
However, the villagers inhabiting in the periphery of the dumping yard opposed the decision and prevented dumping of garbage there on January 7 as it was emitting foul smell.
They also complained that the Municipality was polluting the entire area by setting fire to the garbage at the dumping yard. With no other option left, the Sambalpur Municipality used the PHED grounds spread over 22 acres at Ainthapali here for garbage dumping from January 8. When the residents residing in and around the place protested the dumping, the Municipality took the garbage to the foothills of Lamdungri near Pardhiapali along Sambalpur-Rourkela State Highway 10 since January 10.
But the situation is back to square one with the Forest department raising objection to the dumping and asking the Municipality to stop it immediately leaving the municipal authority in a dilemma. While the Municipality is grappling to find a place to dump garbage, no solution seems to be in sight. For last few days, the vehicles loaded with the garbage remain parked on its premises.
Contacted, Executive Officer of Sambalpur Municipality Aniruddha Padhan admitted that they were facing problem due to opposition from the villagers and are clueless about alternative site to dump the garbage after objection was raised by Forest Department. However, he said a meeting of citizens would be convened to discuss the issue and sort out the problem.
