Plastic waste clogs and scars Bhubaneswar's beautification drive

As the state capital undergoes a major makeover ahead of the Hockey World Cup next month, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has yet to find a solution to the rampant use of single-use plastic, which has become a significant garbage menace.

However, sources in the BMC said around Rs 3.5 lakh in fines have been collected in the last six months, while legal action against repeated offenders has remained virtually nil.

The civic body, which has been running against time to give the city a new look, has not been able to check the usage of single-use plastic, which is scarring the beautification drive ahead of the quadrennial event.

Almost all major roads and streets, including residential areas in the city, are littered with polythene and single-use plastic items, which make up 70 per cent of the trash generated every day.

Moreover, plastic waste has clogged the Gangua Nullah, GGP canal, and natural stormwater channels, turning them into breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Many stretches of the NH-16, which has been included in the priority road network for the World Cup beautification project, are also littered with this non-biodegradable plastic waste.

However, the BMC has yet to initiate any substantial crackdown to discourage vendors, traders, and residents from using single-use plastic items, although the World Cup is just three weeks away. Acting on the state's single-use plastic ban order in July, the BMC framed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to enforce the rule strictly.

The SOP provided for fines ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 50,000 against violators flouting the new norms. It also provided for necessary legal action and criminal proceedings against offenders. However, sources in the BMC said that around Rs 3.5 lakh in fines has been collected in the last six months, while legal action against repeated offenders has remained virtually nil.

The curb on single-use plastic seems to have helped address half of the city's waste management problems, but BMC's failure to implement the ban has started to raise questions.BMC Commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange said a strong enforcement drive will commence soon to crack down on violators.

"We have given sufficient time to awareness programmes. Traders and vendors found violating the norms will now be fined Rs 5,000," he said, adding that the crackdown will also be launched on illegal supplies of banned items in the city.