Hubballi: Monday will be the last chance for owners of open sites in Hubballi-Dharwad to keep clean them and avoid a penalty. If not, Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation ( HDMC ) will take up the cleaning itself and collect the expenditure from site owners.HDMC has finally woken up to the problems faced by residents due to garbage being thrown in open sites. Earlier, it had asked site owners to clean their properties but to no avail. Now, it has decided to clean open sites on its own and link the expenditure incurred with the property ID of the site.HDMC has decided to take up the cleaning from October 9, (Tuesday). Officials of all zonal offices will submit a survey report on the open sites in the twin cities on October 8 and HDMC will start taking action from the next day.Mayor Sudhir Saraf said, “Despite several warnings, owners of open sites are least bothered to keep their properties clean, leading to people living in and around such open sites to face the menace of mosquitoes, stray dogs and pigs. Open sites have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, dogs, pigs and other animals.”“To overcome this problem, we have already issued notices to the owners of open sites through the media. The drive to clean the sites will start from Tuesday and may end on Saturday in both Hubballi-Dharwad. Zonal officials have been asked to hire at least two earth movers based on their requirement in the wards fall that under their jurisdiction,” said Saraf.Zonal officers are working since a week to collect details of open sites, their owners name, PID numbers, site maps and other details. Officials have also decided to take photographs and videos of the cleaning process as proof, said a source.Dr M C Sindhur, a practicing doctor and civic activist, said lauded HDMC’s decision. “The proposed drive should be conducted effectively and should be continued till they achieve their target,” he said.15,000 dirty spotsSources say there are 40,000 open sites in the twin cities, including in newly developed layouts. Of them, 15,000 sites need to be cleaned.

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