Berhampur keen to host a neat & clean puja

BERHAMPUR: The Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) has asked puja committees and traders in the town to keep their surroundings clean during Dussehra as the Silk City recently saw an outbreak of dengue. "We have asked puja organizers to ensure the pandal surroundings are clean. Similarly, business establishments have also been asked to dump garbage only in dustbins. Sweepers of the BMC will collect the garbage from their doorsteps," BMC commissioner A K Mohanty said.

"Sanitation is essential as thousands of people visit the city every day during Dussehera to have a glimpse of decorated pandals and idols, as well as for shopping. We have also talked to officials of Ganjam Chamber of Commerce (GCC) in this regard. We will write to them again so that the traders put up dustbins at their establishments, at least during the Puja period," the commissioner said.

A meeting between the BMC officials and puja organizers was held here on Wednesday. The town will have at least 60 community pujas. While rituals have already started at some of these pandals since Mahalaya, at some places puja will begin from Mahasthami.

Mayor S S Das said the civic body would extend all possible cooperation to the puja committees in order to keep their pandal premises neat and clean.

Ganjam district malaria officer U K Mishra said almost 50 per cent of the dengue positive cases in the district were reported from Berhampur. In view of this, maintaining cleanliness during the puja is a must.

The BMC commissioner also said anti-mosquito fogging drives would continue in the town during the puja. At least four fogging machines had already been pressed into service, he added.

Source: Times of India, Business Standard