ROURKELA: Rourkela city is sitting on garbage, literally. Public sanitation has gone for a toss in the absence of a solid-waste treatment plant. Lack of space has been the major impediment in this direction, but not any more. The Rourkela municipality and Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) have agreed to set up a treatment plant on an isolated vacant RSP land. At best it could take one year. For the time being, the civic body is now resorting to unscientific dumping of garbage at low-lying vacant areas and RSP follows suit. According to civic body sources, the municipal areas generate domestic waste between 115 and 120 tonnes daily. While about 70 tonnes are lifted on a daily basis and the rest is cleared on rotation. This leads to accumulation of garbage in both organised colonies and slums. If everything goes as planned, then over 60,000 households under the Rourkela municipal limits and the same number at the captive township of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) could heave a sigh of relief. Following continuing prodding from the Centre, the Sundargarh district administration since 2007, has been ineffectively trying to find a suitable location with villagers of nearby Lathikata and Bisra. They have been vehemently opposing the idea of the plant in the neighbourhood. T he municipality has at its disposal Rs 5 crore fund for the project and RSP has now acted as a saviour with land. Municipal vice-chairman R N Mishra said under a joint arrangement, RSP has agreed to set up a treatment plant for common use with the civic body contributing Rs 2 crore in the first phase. T he plant is likely to be operational in a year, he added.