3 towns & 3 Gram Panchayats to get solid waste plan benefits

Kolkata: Three towns and three Gram Panchayats will be selected for the implementation of the proper solid waste management system.

The national Green Tribunal has asked the state government to ensure that all the municipalities submit detailed outlines of their solid waste management system to the state Pollution Control Board ( PCB) within April 30 which in turn will send the reports to the Tribunal.

The Tribunal has instructed the state government to implement proper solid waste management system throughout the state within one year.

To discuss the matter a high-level meeting was organized by the state Urban Development Department on Wednesday.

Subrata Gupta, Principal Secretary Urban Development department, Debashis Sen, chairman Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation ( HIDCO) and Kalyan Rudra, chairman state Pollution Control Board were present at the meeting.

Representatives of all the municipalities also attended the meeting.

The Tribunal also asked the state Chief Secretary Malay De to get in touch with the district magistrates on the solid waste management schemes taken up by the municipalities under their jurisdiction.

The Urban Development department is giving special emphasis on the implementation of proper solid waste management in the state.

It may be mentioned the New Town Kolkata Development Authority ( NKDA) and Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority ( NDITA) have introduced segregation of garbage at source in New Town and Sector V.

The residents and the office managements have been asked to keep two bins to put dry and wet waste. The wet waste will be cleared daily while the dry waste will be cleared thrice a week. The wet waste will be used for composting. In New Town, a pilot project to produce compost from solid waste has been started.

The manure is used to produce organic vegetables that are in high demand. NKDA and NDITA have carried out massive campaign to create awareness among the residents.

The residents took a pledge to put the dry and wet waste in proper binds.

NKDA has decided that if the residents do not follow the instructions then the conservancy workers will not pick up the waste from their homes or flats or offices.

In some municipalities, garbage segregation at source have started and drives are on to make people aware of the new system. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation ( KMC) has also proposed to introduce the system of segregating garbage at source in all the 144 wards.

PCB chairman Kalyan Rudra, said constant

awareness drives are required to change the old habits of people.