The Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Saturday launched ‘Sauchamukta Mahanadi Abhiyan’ to make banks of the river flowing along Ring Road in the city open defecation-free (ODF).Launching the campaign near Samaleswari temple, Collector Samarth Verma said awareness drive will be conducted in the localities situated along the Ring Road. He said a campaign vehicle will move on the Ring Road from Sunday to create awareness on not to defecate in open along the banks of Mahanadi.
The drive will continue for a period of one month and fine will be imposed on the violators. The best locality for maintaining the area ODF will be awarded. Similarly, around 11 community toilets have been constructed along the Ring Road and one can use the toilet free of cost, he added.He also urged the residents to help make Sambalpur green and clean city.
The launching saw different cultural programmes to create awareness on the issue.
It has also been seen that people from well off families residing in the localities along the Ring Road have toilets in their homes but prefer to defecate along the banks of Mahanadi. And because of open defecation, the breeze blowing from the river stinks adding to the pollution. With the Ring Road being widened and beautified, the SMC is making sincere efforts to improve the sanitation along the bank of the river which has the potential to draw crowd during evenings.
