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.
