BMC Seeks Fuel Exemption to Safeguard Bhubaneswar Sanitation

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has urged the Odisha government and oil companies to exempt it from the Centre’s fuel rationing guidelines, warning that restrictions could severely disrupt sanitation and waste collection services across the city.

Under current rules, fuel suppliers can provide only 200 litres of diesel per day, while BMC requires nearly 2,000 litres daily to operate its fleet of waste collection vans, transport trucks, road sweeping machines, and other municipal equipment.

Officials highlighted that heavy machinery at the Bhuasuni bio‑mining site alone consumes around 3,000 litres weekly to process legacy waste.

Suppliers have cautioned they cannot exceed the cap, raising concerns about continuity of essential services.

BMC Additional Commissioner Kailash Chandra Dash confirmed that the civic body spends approximately Rs 2 lakh daily on fuel and has reached out to oil companies for relief.

The corporation has also requested the state government’s intervention to ensure adequate allocation.

Authorities emphasised that waste collection and sanitation are essential services directly linked to public health, urging special consideration under rationing rules to prevent disruption in Bhubaneswar’s daily operations.