Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has put in place extensive measures to ensure cleanliness and sanitation across the city during the Durga Puja festival. In an effort to maintain a clean environment during the festivities, the BMC has deployed 36 nodal officers and over 340 additional sanitation workers to manage waste and sanitation at puja pandals and across the city.
To handle the increased waste during the festival, the BMC has allocated special sanitation vehicles, drivers, and manpower for waste collection and transportation. In addition, guidelines have been issued to puja organizers and citizens, urging everyone to maintain cleanliness during the celebration. Through video messages, Mayor Sulochana Das, Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, and Additional Commissioner Suvendu Kumar Sahoo have appealed to the public to contribute to keeping the city clean.
The BMC has strategically assigned ward-wise nodal officers across 67 wards in three zones, overseeing over 350 sanitation workers who are dedicated to maintaining cleanliness from October 10 to 14. Special attention has been given to public areas and puja pandals, with agencies instructed to promptly remove waste following the completion of the puja.
Furthermore, the BMC has ensured the sanitation and maintenance of six major public toilet locations, providing essential facilities for visitors and devotees.
In a show of appreciation, Mayor Sulochana Das visited sanitation workers during Dussehra, congratulating them and offering sweets as a gesture of gratitude. She commended their hard work and urged all sanitation teams, including swachh saathis and swachh supervisors, to keep the city spotless throughout the festive season.
After the puja, organizers have been requested to immerse the idols in temporary waterbodies designated by the BMC. The puja committees have been cooperative in the cleanliness drive, encouraging devotees to dispose of waste in designated areas to maintain the city’s hygiene.
In addition to sanitation efforts, the BMC Enforcement Teams have been tasked with conducting food quality checks at stalls and vendors across the city to ensure high standards of food safety for citizens. Food vendors near puja pandals have also been instructed to use two separate dustbins with appropriate labels for waste disposal.
