Expressbuzz, 1st June, 2009
BHAWANIPATNA: Good hygiene and good health go hand in hand. The Bhawanipatna municipality, however, has a different take on this, it seems.
Dirty water overflowing the drains, garbage lying dumped on the roads, tanks converted into dumping yards speak volumes about the state of affairs.
The one lakh-odd population of the area under the municipality make their way through mounds of garbage everyday. Uncleared drains only add to the locals’ concern with the mosquitoes giving them sleepless nights and stink adding to air pollution. Ironically, garbage is also dumped along the State and national highways located barely 4 km from the town. Regular dumping of garbage along natural water bodies and streams add to water pollution but the repeated complaints have fallen on deaf ears, alleged a local.
The management of wards has been distributed while nine are taken care of by the municipal staff, 11 wards have been leased out on contract basis to two private organisations on monthly payment of Rs 3.5 lakh for the last one year.
The arrangement of privatisation was made after the Urban Development Department asked the municipality to stop engaging DLR or temporary employees in any manner and engage private parties on tender to manage sanitation.
Municipal vice-chairman Chhitaranjan Mandal said privatisation of work is not good.
Earlier, the work was managed with an expenditure of Rs 1.4 lakh by engaging daily wagers. The civic body now spends Rs 3.5 lakh a month without satisfactory results.
He, however, said work under solid waste management is in progress and the situation would improve after a year.
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