Temple to be relocated

VADODARA, Feb 2: In a total climbdown from their stand, residents of Shankar Tekri agreed today to shift the Hanuman Temple they had set ...

VADODARA, Feb 2: In a total climbdown from their stand, residents of Shankar Tekri agreed today to shift the Hanuman Temple they had set up yesterday near a garbage collecting site in Dandia Bazaar, even as the Vadodara Municipal Corporation contemplated filing a complaint under the Damage to Public Properties Act against those who had demolished the garbage site.

The temple had been constructed by a group of locals in protest against the VMC8217;s failure to prevent dumping of fish waste, which was causing a foul smell in the area, and irregular clearing of garbage. Yesterday, they had said they would not shift the temple under any circumstances.

However, they agreed to shift today after a meeting with Deputy Municipal Commissioner General I B Peerzada, who is also the area8217;s zonal commissioner. The VMC also agreed to change the site and place a container instead of making a concrete structure.

Suhyog Muley, a resident of the area who was at the forefront of the group, said they would suggest an alternative site to the VMC on Wednesday. He added that the statue of Lord Hanuman would be placed in the Datt Mandir which is nearby.

Since afternoon, the VMC deployed manpower to demolish the remaining structure of the garbage collecting site. A notice has been put at the site asking residents not to dump garbage and warns of action against those who do.

However, despite the residents8217; decision to shift the temple, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Administration H S Patel told Express Newsline that actions like setting up structures on road-sides could not be tolerated. As a deterrent, the VMC would file a court complaint under the Damage to Public Properties Act.

While the contentious issue of garbage dumping site in Dandia Bazaar has been sorted out for the time-being, Patel claimed that he would make arrangements to place more garbage containers in the areas where such waste and hospital waste is generated.

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The DyMC further claimed that fish and hospital waste should be dumped in separate containers and then the containers would be taken to the incinerator at Wadi.

He stated that the VMC had ordered more containers and soon 10-odd garbage collecting sites concrete structures which have remained in the city would be replaced by containers.

Patel informed that different types of waste could be tackled effectively only when there are more incinerators in the city.