Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made elaborate arrangements to maintain cleanliness and sanitation in the city during the Durga Puja festival.
To ensure cleanliness at each puja pandal and across the city, the BMC has deployed 36 nodal officers and over 340 additional sanitation workers. Special sanitation vehicles, drivers, and manpower have been allocated for waste transportation.
The BMC has also issued guidelines for puja organizers and citizens to maintain cleanliness. Mayor Sulochana Das, Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, and Additional Commissioner Suvendu Kumar Sahoo have appealed to citizens through video messages to keep the city clean.
According to a release, in the 67 wards across three zones, over 350 sanitation workers have been deployed. Ward-wise nodal officers have been assigned to supervise cleanliness arrangements from October 10 to 14.
The BMC has instructed agencies to remove waste immediately after the puja. Additional vehicles, drivers, and manpower have been allocated for this purpose.
The sanitation and maintenance of six major public toilet locations have also been ensured.
On the occasion of Dussehra, BMC Mayor Srimati Sulochana Das congratulated and fed sweets to the sanitation workers, wishing them happiness, peace, and prosperity. She has appealed to all sanitation workers, swachh saathis, swachh supervisors, officers, and BMC teams to keep the entire city of Bhubaneswar, including puja pandals, completely clean and beautiful during Dussehra.
After the puja, the organizers of various puja pandals in Bhubaneswar have been requested to immerse the idols in temporary waterbodies set up at different locations. The puja organizers are also seen cooperating with the cleanliness drive. Devotees visiting the pandals have been requested to dispose of waste in designated areas.
The BMC has appreciated the puja organizers’ proactive approach to maintaining cleanliness.
Enforcement Teams have been directed to conduct food quality checks across the city to ensure citizens receive high-quality food.
Food business operators and vendors near puja pandals have been instructed to maintain two dustbins with separate labels.
