Brahmapur: The Brahmapur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) on Tuesday sealed the Dolphin Bar and Restaurant near Nelia Bandha Square in the city for alleged violation of sanitation norms.
The action was taken as the civic body announced plans to launch a regular crackdown on plastic garbage and sanitation violations across the city.
A BeMC team led by Commissioner Sasya Reddy inspected the area and found a large quantity of plastic glasses, bottles and other waste near the bar premises. Following the inspection, the civic body sealed the establishment.
However, Dolphin Bar and Restaurant owner Santosh Kumar Patra denied that the plastic waste had been generated by the bar or its customers. He alleged that a nearby pan kiosk sells plastic water bottles, glasses, snacks and other items, while people frequently gather on the lonely pond bank with liquor purchased from elsewhere and leave behind garbage.
Patra said he had already brought the issue to the notice of the police and the BeMC. “I pay around Rs 1.50 lakh a month to the government as revenue. The sealing of the shop will cause a loss of lakhs of rupees, while around 25 employees and their families depend on the establishment,” he said.
Commissioner Sasya Reddy, however, said the bar owner had been clearly instructed not to allow plastic waste to accumulate in or around the premises. The seal would be removed after the complex is properly cleaned, he said.
Meanwhile, the BeMC has decided to make sanitation enforcement a regular exercise. Every Tuesday, the civic body will initiate action against plastic garbage and violations of sanitation rules, the Commissioner said.
The Tuesday drive initially focused on identified trouble spots and will subsequently be expanded to every ward of Brahmapur, signalling a more sustained civic campaign against indiscriminate dumping of plastic and other waste.
The move comes amid growing concern over plastic waste choking public spaces and polluting water bodies.