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Bengal

KMC to form committee to work on plastic waste disposal strategy

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is setting up a committee under the leadership of experts from the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB), to work out a strategy for scientific disposal of plastic waste.

This was decided in a meeting chaired by Mayor Firhad Hakim, with officials of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) department on Monday.

"We will launch an entrepreneurship development programme for scientific disposal of solid waste. The committee that will be formed will decide on how to proceed with the programme. Plastic waste is generated in huge quantities in the city on a daily basis and we have to dispose it in a scientific manner," the Mayor said.

The KMC will also seek assistance from Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd. that has been carrying out plastic waste management efficiently.

Hakim instructed SWM officials to complete all the formalities for handover of a 20 acre land at Chapna Mouza in Rajarhat in a week's time. This land will be utilised by the civic body for dumping waste and a part of it for the waste-to-energy project.

"We will send the detailed proposal to the state Finance department and will place it in the cabinet soon for approval," Hakim said.

Lack of space for dumping waste has been a serious issue, with the dumping ground at Dhapa getting exhausted. New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) has allocated the land to the civic body.

It was decided in the meeting that KMC will also include the Port area in its ambit of the master plan for revamping solid waste management in the city.

"All the wastes will be collected by KMC to keep the city clean, but we will charge the concerned agencies for removal of the waste," said a senior official who attended the meeting. The KMC will also gather knowhow from experts of other states on disposal of e-waste.

The SWM department of KMC will also introduce more battery-operated vehicles and mini trucks for cleaning of wastes. "We will gradually replace hand carts for disposal of waste and will switch over to battery-operated vehicles," said Debabrata Majumder, Member, Mayor-in-Council (SWM).

The KMC has come up with as many as 80 compactor stations and more than 100 movable compactors for effective solid waste management. "We will soon be unveiling 20 new compactor stations. There are a few open vats in the city now," Majumder added.

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