BHAWANIPATNA: Sanitation in urban pockets of Bhawanipatna is dismal owing to the lackadaisical attitude of the municipal authorities. This situation continues despite dengue assuming alarming proportions in some parts of the State.Garbage has mounted on the roadsides, much to the inconvenience of the residents. To add to the woes of the town, the sewage system has gone awry. In areas under the Bhawanipatna Municipality, having a population of a lakh, sanitation measures are virtually non-existent. The municipality has 20 wards and sanitation works in seven wards are managed by 292 workers hired by the civic body. Work in the rest 13 wards had been outsourced for Rs. 4,99,000 a month. Sources said contract term of the private agency lapsed last month but no step has been taken to call fresh tender to appoint new agency or renew the old one. As a result, no adequate sanitation measures are being taken causing much inconvenience to the residents.Sources said except a few VIP pockets, roads and drains, other areas are not cleaned for months together.The overflowing drains and puddles filled with rainwater have turned breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Locals said if the situation continues, outbreak of vector and water-borne diseases cannot be ruled out.The Bhawanipatna Municipality has procured 2,400 litres of mosquito larvicidal (ML) oil and received DDT from the district health department. However, in the absence of fogging machines, the oil and DDT cannot be sprayed. Municipal executive officer Nruparaj Sahoo said the Municipality is aware of the situation and efforts are on to streamline sanitation works. He said tender for appointment of a private agency for the works will be called soon. The municipality is facing problems in implementing the sanitation works due to shortage of field staff, he added.
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