Latest news with #BhubaneswarMunicipalCorporation
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
BMC moves to phase out plastic bags with cotton alternatives
Bhubaneswar: An ambitious plan to tackle plastic pollution will be launched by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday on World Environment Day . BMC officials said that as per the plan, they will begin phasing out plastic carry bags, replacing them with cotton alternatives at the Unit II market, where several vendors will participate in the inaugural programme. The vendors will also take a pledge, "Say no to single-use plastic carry bags". The campaign aligns with this year's environment day theme, 'Right Up Your Alley — Ending Plastic Pollution'. Instead of merely penalising vendors for using plastic bags, BMC officials will provide cotton bags as substitutes, promoting a sustainable solution to reduce plastic waste. "The occasion will be used to promote our plan to eliminate plastic carry bags from markets through the gradual promotion of cotton bags during enforcement activities. On Thursday, some vendors will be provided cotton bags for free on the occasion, but that is only for once. As per our strategy, we will carry out enforcement," said BMC additional commissioner Suvendu Sahu. Additionally, the celebration venue at Unit II will have an awareness kiosk. According to BMC officials, vendors who are fined for violating the ban on single-use plastic shall be eligible for a one-time issuance of cotton carry bags, equivalent in value to the fine amount. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Viva a melhor experiência de estudo no exterior (Inscreva-se agora) Study Abroad Saiba Mais Undo If a vendor is penalised Rs 10,000, he will receive 312 cloth bags as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic. "The model not only reinforces compliance but provides a tangible tool for vendors to refrain from offering polythene carry bags," Sahu added. "A special cleaning drive will also be taken up on Thursday. Mostly, plastic waste will be collected and will be segregated from common municipal solid waste. Sanitation workers will also be sensitised on how to implement the phasing-out strategy," said BMC assistant commissioner N Ganesh Babu. In subsequent phases, BMC officials said all vending zones, markets and haats will be equipped with a dedicated kiosk for the sale of cloth bags to promote their use and enable a sustainable approach towards the environment. Apart from the supply of online products and food items leading to a flood of polythene carry bags, wrappers and multi-layered plastic containers and boxes, vendors in fruit, vegetable and grocery markets predominantly use single-use plastic carry bags.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Civic body's permission now mandatory to dig borewell in Bhubaneswar
BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made prior permission for digging borewells in the state capital mandatory for both commercial and residential users. A decision to this effect has been taken in the BMC corporation meeting on Friday. Mayor Sulochana Das told this paper that the decision has been taken to regulate extraction of groundwater and prevent its misuse in view of the depleting sub-surface water level in the capital region. Das said the planning wing of the BMC will prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) for groundwater use and borewell digging under BMC jurisdiction. The Odisha Municipal Corporation (OMC) Act 2003 stipulates permission from the municipal corporation to dig borewell for both commercial and residential uses. However, sources said, poor enforcement of the norm has resulted in unregulated use of groundwater in the city in last two decades, primarily due to the growing urbanisation of the city and its periphery. As per the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) report, the consumption requirement met through groundwater in the capital city has already plunged from 112 MLD to 206 MLD in a decade. The over-dependency has also affected the level of groundwater in different parts of the city with water level in Saheed Nagar plunging from 5.3 metre in 2006 to 4.4 metre in 2015. Corporator of ward no 51 Binayinee Jena, who had raised the matter with the civic body seeking formation of a special groundwater cell and appropriate regulatory norms to check misuse, said the corporation meeting also deliberated on other possible measures including use of metres in borewells to check the water uses. She has been advocating that considering the government guidelines a person should be restricted to the daily water consumption limit of a maximum 60 gallons (227 litre) to prevent water scarcity in city in the future.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
BMC plans to make permission must for digging bore wells
1 2 3 4 Bhubaneswar: In an unprecedented move, corporators of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday advocated for mandatory permission of the civic body to dig bore wells within city limits. The demand, which arose at the corporation meeting, aims to check erratic site selection for bore wells and haphazard digging by residents, agencies and realtors that leads to depletion of groundwater. The corporators also decided that rainwater harvesting for individual houses and apartments will be made mandatory, BMC officials said. BMC mayor Sulochana Das said a standard operating procedure (SOP) will be drawn up soon to establish clear principles for segregating areas where and how many bore wells will be allowed to be dug. "The SOP on bore well digging will be incorporated into the building plan approval gradually. The SOP will clearly state the carrying capacity of which places have been exhausted, and digging should not be carried out. We don't want a situation like Bengaluru. There are instances where, for every 1,000 people, there are more than 100 bore wells. In apartments and individual houses, the location of the bore well is also important. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like USDJPY đang đi lên không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo At times, the neighbour doesn't know that another bore well is coming up just a metre or two away. This is not a healthy practice as groundwater is depleting," she said. Majority of the corporators endorsed the new SOP to be incorporated into the building plan approval. "In another sitting, further opinions of corporators will be elicited on how to proceed with the guidelines and what aspects should be addressed to make it development-, environment- and people-friendly," the mayor added. Recently, BMC planned to construct 10 mega water harvesting structures in the city to recharge groundwater. Work will be completed before next monsoon, BMC officials said. The civic body will take guidance from the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). The ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) has provided funds to BMC to spend Rs 5 lakh on each water harvesting structure. BMC has identified the places where the structures will be established. BMC officials a list of low sustainable zones has been prepared where high interventions in terms of constructing artificial recharge structures have been recommended by the ministry following the National Remote Sensing Centre's survey of groundwater levels in Bhubaneswar.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Time of India
BMC lodges police complaint over forced inauguration of waste treatment plant
Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation on Monday lodged a police complaint against members of Bhubaneswar Unnayan Parishad (BUP) for allegedly forcefully entering a newly-constructed waste processing unit at Palasuni and inaugurating it in the presence of a 500-strong mob. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The outfit, which has been fighting against waste dumping by BMC near Sainik School, maintained that it inaugurated the plant as its operation will help clear waste from the dump yard. BMC called it intrusion and criminal action as it has already planned the inauguration. "A large group of unknown individuals led by Basudev Bhatta, president of BUP, and its members unlawfully and forcefully entered the premises of the facility and engaged in violent protest. The miscreants violated various provisions of BNS. BMC staff present at the units were also threatened," said the BMC complaint at Mancheswar police station. BMC's facility at Palasuni includes a 150-tonne per day (TPD) capacity mega material recovery facility (MRF), a processing unit for 10,000 coconuts per day, and 20 TPD green waste processing units. The construction work was complete, and BMC was slated to inaugurate it. "When the BUP members led by Bhatta met us, we assured them of running the Palasuni facility soon. But, they took law into their hands," said BMC additional commissioner Suvendu Sahu. The outfit strongly demanded immediate removal of the garbage dump, emphasising the severe inconvenience and long-standing suffering of the local residents due to the stench. "On Sunday, we gave in writing to Mancheswar police that we would go to the facility with 500 people as a symbol of inauguration to draw the attention of the govt. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now BMC has been unduly dilly-dallying on the operationalisation of the facility. Residents have been bearing the stench for the past eight months," Bhatta told TOI. He refuted the BMC allegation that the BUP members unlawfully barged into the premises and threatened staff. According to the outfit, the garbage dump near Sainik School, where 350 metric tonnes of waste is processed daily, has made living conditions unbearable for the residents. Notably, ever since the civic body stopped waste dumping at Daruthenga, a village on the city outskirts in May, it has been dumping at least 50 per cent of the total 800 metric tonnes of waste generated daily near Sainik School dump yard.
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- New Indian Express
House of key accused in murder of Sahadev Nayak razed by BMC
BHUBANESWAR: The house of Rama Nayak, the alleged mastermind in the brutal murder of police mitra and sanitation supervisor Sahadev Nayak in the capital, was demolished by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday on the ground of encroachment and illegal construction. BMC deputy commissioner (enforcement) Ajaya Mohanty said they had received reports of encroachment in six cases in Kedarpalli slum. However, after verification it was found that four houses had land rights certificates (LRC) under Jaga Mission, while the remaining two houses, belonging to Rama Nayak, were found to be constructed illegally. Mohanty said notices were served to the two houses twice within a fortnight to vacate the premises, after which the enforcement squad of the BMC demolished the illegal structures on Friday. Sources said apart from encroachment, both police and the civic body had also received allegations regarding involvement of Nayak in the heinous crime and other anti-social activities in the area causing panic among the residents in the locality. Sahadev Nayak, a 32-year-old sanitation supervisor with the BMC from the same slum, was hacked to death in broad daylight on the Rasulgarh overbridge of NH 16 on January 8. Nayak, alleged to be the key conspirator in the case, was arrested by the Commissionerate Police in February. Police said Rama's associate Raja, who is also an accused in the case is still absconding and efforts are on to nab him. 'The demolition of house of the accused involved in such crime and illegal activities is an exemplary action,' said a senior police official.
