The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has launched a special cleanliness and obstruction-removal drive in the Old Town area ahead of Panchuka and Kartik Purnima, when thousands of devotees are expected to visit the Lingaraj Temple precinct.
The civic exercise was conducted on Saturday along Mausi Maa Temple Road and around the Lingaraj Temple area. Officials carried out the drive at Mausima Chowk on Vivekananda Marg in Ward 55 in the presence of mayor Sulochana Das, standing committee chairpersons, deputy, zonal and assistant commissioners, and sanitation officials.
Community members, residents’ welfare associations and students also participated in the initiative. The operation focused on clearing unauthorised roadside encroachments and stalls that were obstructing public spaces and pedestrian movement in one of Bhubaneswar’s busiest religious zones.
The BMC also trimmed tree branches along key stretches. According to the civic body, the work was intended to improve road visibility and support smoother vehicular movement during the festival period, when the Old Town area is expected to experience a significant increase in footfall.
Deputy commissioner (sanitation) Rakesh Patro said the corporation had intensified preparations because of the number of visitors expected during Panchuka and Kartik Purnima. “Large numbers of devotees visit the Old Town area during Panchuka and Kartik Purnima. Additional sanitation measures have also been planned to handle the increased volume of puja waste during the festival period,” Patro said.
The preparations include additional attention to waste generated by religious activities. The BMC’s statement, as reported by the Times of India, did not specify the number of sanitation workers, collection vehicles or temporary waste facilities that would be deployed during the celebrations.
The drive also included a Children’s Day awareness programme for students. Through games and an activity called “Plastic Danav”, BMC officials explained four-way waste segregation, the use of dustbins and the importance of keeping public surroundings clean.
Flashcards, slogans and other learning tools were used during the programme. The civic body encouraged students to act as cleanliness ambassadors in their communities, linking festival preparations with longer-term public participation in waste disposal and neighbourhood sanitation.
The BMC’s action combines three immediate concerns in the Old Town precinct: keeping pedestrian paths clear, maintaining road visibility and managing the additional waste expected during the religious celebrations. Further sanitation measures are planned by the civic body for the festival period.
