The municipal corporation has intensified its enforcement activities across the city for implementation of ban on use of plastic, mandatory use of Odia signboard and freeing footpath and cycle tracks from the clutches of street vendors.

The enforcement drive of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) that began earlier this week has been intensified since Wednesday when the civic body officials slapped notices on 220 shopkeepers for not using the Odia signboard. The officials also levied a fine of Rs 2,000 on a city-based pharmacy for using plastic carry bags. They seized five kilos of polythene carry bags.

A shop owners hands over goods in a polythene carry bag in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

The activities were centred in the BMC’s northern zone that includes major localities including Chandrasekharpur, Damana, Sailashree Vihar, Niladri Vihar, parts of Nayapalli and Patia.

“We are making the city plastic free and hope that people should act voluntarily,” said zonal deputy commissioner Pramod Prusty.

The civic body has also decided to remove vendors from footpaths and cycle tracks before the Hockey Men’s World Cup. To execute the plan, the civic body has formed eight special squads and focuses on 80km of priority city roads to intensify the enforcement.

BMC deputy commissioner, enforcement, Subhranshu Mishra said people and vendors along the 80km priority road network had been requested to keep the roadside and footpaths free from encroachments. “We have asked them to act voluntarily,” said Mishra.

He said in the run up to the world cup, people were expected to act responsibly and keep their vicinity clean.

“We are serving notices on the violators and if they failed to comply, we will take action against them,” Mishra said.

Signboards in English and Odia at a market in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

At present several arterial roads such as Janpath and Rajpath and prominent localities such as Unit I, Unit III, Unit VIII, Nayapalli and Saheed Nagar have fallen prey to rampant encroachment by street vendors and other local shopkeepers. The footpaths and cycle tracks have become their favourite vending zones.

“The civic body has time and again carried out anti-encroachment drives to remove these vendors from footpaths and roadsides, but they reappear soon after the team leaves the place. I have no idea how the city would present itself to the visitors and tourists if it remains in this shape,” said Himanshu Jena, a resident of Saheed Nagar.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said they were not going to spare anyone who failed to comply with the orders. “It is indeed a proud time for us to host the hockey world cup. I hope the people will understand this and help us keep the city in a good shape. If they don’t, we will have to be strict with them,” he said.

Ponzi arrest

The economic offences wing on Thursday arrested Mriganka Sekhar Chakrabarty, 36, the director of a Ponzi firm, for duping investors of Rs 3 crores on the pretext of giving them high returns.