Govt plans to set up 2 hazardous waste treatment units

Kolkata: West Bengal government is planning to set up hazardous waste treatment units each at Bantala in South 24-Parganas and at Barjora in Bankura which could be also serve as waste banks.

Waste bank is one of community-based waste management system that enables the public to actively participate in managing their environment.

Waste management has several instruments to help community managing their waste independently in their household.

According to a source within Environment department, the state government has already written to the Centre for its clearance to set up a unit at Barjora in Bankura for the disposal of hazardous products of various factories.

The process would be initiated after the state environment department gets the Centre's nod.

The Bengal government has also proposed another disposal unit at Bantala Leather Complex in South 24 Parganas for which the state will soon write to the Centre.

The state Environment department had received proposals from the various private players to set up alternative hazardous waste treatment units in some places.

There is one common hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility (CHWTSDF) located at Purba Srikrishnapur, Haldia, Purba Medinipur that caters to all units in the state. It was developed jointly through the Private Public partnership (PPP) model.

The proposed units will have an incinerator, a secured landfill site, waste stabilisation unit, temporary waste storage shed and a well-equipped laboratory.

The proposed units will be required to meet the growing number of industrial pollutants. As there are nearly 1,000 hazardous waste generating units in the state at present, it has always been a challenge for the government on how to dispose of these waste materials.

Sources also said that once the two proposed waste banks are made operational each in Bankura and South 24 Parganas the industrial wastes of one factory could be used by the other as per their requirement.

The proposed facilities will enable industries, especially that are situated around the region of Burdwan, Bankura districts and North and South 24 Parganas and also the city having the highest hazardous waste concentration to avoid the very high cost of such waste transportation for disposal all the way to Haldia.

According to a source on the West Bengal Pollution Control Board, the state generates more than 236,000 tonne of hazardous waste per annum, out of which Burdwan contributes around 166,880 tonne and Bankura 351,44.20 tonne

per annum. A senior official of the state Environment department said that the proposal for setting up alternative waste treatment unit in Bankura has been sent for the Centre's approval and another proposal would be soon sent to the Center seeking an approval.