ROURKELA: There has been no headway in the solid waste management (SWM) project in the city despite availability of funds under the 12th Finance Commission. The Rourkela Municipality has received Rs 4 crore in the last four years.
Earlier efforts of the civic body to find a suitable place for SWM have met the dead end. It had identified a plot in Balughat and started dumping garbage there after constructing a boundary wall. However, nearby residents complained about the stench and the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) also rejected the site stating that the waste may spill into the nearby river Brahmani. The municipality and Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) then chose an open space near the airstrip to dump solid waste but were soon slapped with show cause notices by OSPCB.