Dussehra In Bhubaneswar: BMC Issues Guidelines For Puja Pandals, Clamps Ban On Plastic Use

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a set of regulations, including ban on plastic materials, for the puja pandals during Dussehra in Odisha capital.

Speaking to media persons on Thursday, Bhubaneswar mayor Sulochana Das said the municipal authorities would strictly enforce ban of use of single use plastic materials at the pandals like previous years. “The puja committees have been instructed to use organic materials as much as possible in making the idols, decoration of the pandals and performing puja of Devi Durga,” she added.

In order to maintain a clean and hygienic condition at the pandals, which are expected to be thronged by lakhs of devotees during the three-day celebration, BMC vehicles would collect garbage twice a day, she said.

The BMC has created five artificial ponds for immersion of the idols to prevent pollution of water sources in the city and around it.

On the road condition in the capital city, the mayor said the damaged roads could not be repaired by the deadline due to depression induced rains. As the rainwater would have washed out the top layers of freshly laid roads, the BMC held back the repair works.

However, the road works have started from Wednesday with a war-footing and are expected to be completed before the Dussehra celebrations begin in the city, she added.