The Hindu 08.11.2013
BMC moves to speed up debris clearance
The Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) has formed
special committees in all its wards for immediate clearing of debris of
the Phailin cyclone and for improving sanitation.
These
committees will function in all the 40 wards of the municipal
corporation. The panels will have seven members and will be headed by
local corporators. The work of these committees is to supervise the
clearing of debris and upkeep of sanitation in their respective areas.
Daily visits
Members
of the committees will make rounds around their wards from 8 a.m. to
10.30 a.m. every day. They will inspect, direct and monitor the cleaning
of debris. The committees will make visits to different areas of the
wards again from 3 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
For every four
wards there will be a supervising officer who will monitor the removal
of debris and sanitation work. Apart from them, the BMC has appointed 14
nodal officers for speedy upkeep of sanitation in the city. “Our target
is to get the city totally cleaned up within next seven days,” says BMC
Commissioner Ajit Mishra.
It may be noted that on
November 1, the Ganjam District Collector ordered BMC authorities to get
the city cleaned up by November 7, which has not been achieved. Even
after three weeks of the cyclone, the city bears the devastated look and
its state of hygiene and sanitation is in dismal state. Continuous
rains from October 22 to 26 deteriorated the sanitation condition of the
city.
Large garbage dumps comprising debris of the
cyclone are still seen all around the city. Most of the fallen trees in
the city have been cleared up. But there are still some fallen trees
which have to be either lifted for restoration or they have to be cut
down and removed. According to the BMC authorities, they have also
initiated awareness building measures in all wards.
Special panels have been formed to clean up the city which was devastated by Phailin.