Tension prevailed at Daruthenga village on the outskirts of the capital city when a local resident was mowed down by a garbage truck of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Sunday. Hundreds of irate locals blocked the Cuttack-Khordha road for hours.
The deceased was identified as Ramchandra Gagrai. As per reports, the vehicle engaged in transporting garbage hit Gagrai while he was going by a bicycle.
As the news spread, hundreds of residents came onto the road and staged the blockade demanding a permanent solution to the garbage dumping problem.
Notably, two months ago, a BMC truck had also killed a village at the same spot and same time. The vehicles meant for dumping garbage at the Bhuasuni yard lack fitness and inexperienced drivers are engaged to run the vehicles, the agitating locals alleged,
Terming the accident as a ‘murder’, they accused the BMC of conspiring to kill residents of Daruthenga one after the other.
Getting information, BMC Mayor Sulochana Das and Commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange reached the spot and held a discussion with the locals.
The locals lifted the blockade after the Mayor announced an assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the deceased’s family and a contractual job to one of the family members.
The BMC also decided to temporarily suspend dumping of garbage at the Bhuasuni yard.
