Immersion ponds raise stink for Cuttack Municipal Corporation

CUTTACK: Even as heavy rains in the last few days exposed the lack of preparedness of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC), the civic body also failed to make arrangements for managing waste generated from immersion of idols after Ganesh Puja in the city. 

In view of the pandemic, the civic body had constructed 14 temporary ponds on Mahanadi and Kathajodi river beds for immersion of idols. One such pond at Devigada is in a mess as no steps have yet been initiated to clean it. What’s worse is that heavy rains in the last few days has breached the temporary pond’s embankment due to which the waste is being washed away into Kathajodi river.

“Besides posing a threat to the environment, the negligence of the civic body officials in disposal of the waste from the ponds violates the guidelines of National Green Tribunal (NGT), said an environmentalist. 
Meanwhile, a senior official of CMC said the cleanliness drive at the temporary ponds was delayed due to rains. Efforts are on to clean the Devigada immersion point by Wednesday, the official added.