The Orissa High Court has come down heavily on the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and the Regulated Market Committee (RMC) for their failure to maintain basic hygiene at the bustling Krushak Bazar vegetable market near Bidanasi. The court observed that the market remains in a filthy state despite its repeated directives, posing a public health concern.
Court Orders Immediate Sanitation Overhaul
A two-judge bench comprising Justices S K Sahoo and V Narasingh, in its order dated November 27, directed the CMC to immediately extend its full sanitation services to Krushak Bazar. The bench noted that with rising footfall, the deployment of only four sanitation workers was grossly inadequate. It ordered the corporation to deploy sufficient manpower as per its own November 21 communication, which recommended engaging four additional workers and a supervisor, preferably through a professional agency, with monitoring every two hours.
The court also instructed the RMC to provide an adequate number of dustbins and ensure strict waste segregation by vendors to improve overall cleanliness. The bench pointed out that photographs submitted to the court "clearly indicate heaps of garbage lying in the Krushak Bazar area," directly contradicting the CMC's claim of regular waste clearance.
A Blame Game Over Garbage and Encroachments
During the proceedings, a blame game unfolded between the two responsible bodies. Deputy Commissioner (Sanitation) Jubuli Charan Behera, joining virtually, stated that the CMC was lifting garbage from the designated spot. He shifted the responsibility for maintaining toilets and drinking water facilities to the RMC, citing its collection of user fees.
However, this claim was refuted by RMC counsel S B Mohanty and advocates' committee member Bibhuti Bhusan Choudhary, who alleged that garbage removal had been irregular for months. In its affidavit, the RMC blamed encroachments over drains for the market's recurring waterlogging and poor sanitation. It stated that shop rooms constructed over the southern drain had blocked wastewater flow, turning the area into a waterlogged zone during rains. The RMC informed the court it had written to the CMC on November 18 seeking action to clear these encroachments and renovate the drainage system.
On-Site Inspection Ordered, Next Hearing Set
Taking serious note of the allegations, the bench directed City Engineer Atanu Kumar Samanta to conduct a thorough on-site inspection of all drains surrounding Krushak Bazar. He has been asked to submit a detailed report on the extent of encroachment by December 15. The court has listed the matter for its next hearing on December 18, expecting concrete action plans and compliance reports from both the CMC and the RMC to resolve the long-standing civic issue.
