Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Saturday, began a massive sanitisation drive deploying three dedicated vehicles in each of its administrative zones.
As per sources, the three dedicated vehicles will focus on areas that are reporting higher caseload and major public places like Unit I and Unit IV along with areas near hospitals and crematoriums. The civic body is presently engaging nine vehicles for sanitisation activities which are managed by three staffers and sanitation experts of the BMC under the respective Zonal Deputy Commissioners (ZDCs).
“Zones have been divided for sanitisation during first and second half of the day. The vehicles are then deployed accordingly in each zone sanitising areas which experience large footfall every day. Today, under the South East Zone, Satya Nagar crematorium and many places in Old Town were sanitised,” a BMC official said.
“With areas like Patia, Rasulgarh and Damana reporting high positive cases, the North Zone of the BMC carried out disinfection drive in these areas on priority basis. Meanwhile, in the South West Zone, the sanitisation work was carried out in various locations of Nayapalli, Surya Nagar, IRC Village, Jagamara and Dumduma,” the official added.
According to the information provided by the BMC, the chemical used for sanitising the area is 1 per cent solution of sodium hypochlorite. Sodium hypochlorite, commonly known as bleach, is most frequently used as a disinfecting agent. It is a broad-spectrum disinfectant that is effective for the disinfection of viruses, bacteria, fungi and mycobacterium.
It can be mentioned here that the move was taken in a bid to lessen the burden on the vehicles of the Odisha Fire Service (OFS).
Earlier, during the first wave of Covid-19 between September and November, OFS vehicles were used during the pandemic for sanitisation activities and the services continue even now.