State to set up green corridor in Jalpaiguri to create employment

The state government is planning to set up green corridor at Mal sub-division of Jalpaiguri district adjacent to Garumara sanctuary which will not only present pollution free environment but will also create employment in the area.

The district administration has a plan to start the work of setting up green corridor in various blocks of Jalpaiguri after Pujas.

Around 5 lakh people from across the state and abroad visit Dooars every year. The proposed green corridor would come up in the area like Lataguri, Moulani under Mal block and Batabari, Baradighi and Chalsa and other adjoining areas of Metli block.

A senior official of the district said that various initiatives would be taken under the new project so that local unemployed could be involved. It was learnt that local families, hotels, resorts, schools would be included in the project. Various bio-degradable elements, kitchen produces collected from the hotels and resorts could be utilised for preparing organic manure. The materials that are not bio-degradable would be used for filling up low lands. The district magistrate of the district has been taking initiative to make the project a success.

According to a senior official, a place would be demarcated where the people would collect these bio-degradable and other kitchen items.

In every chalk, two dustbins would be constructed among which one would be red in colour while the other would be green. Before the starting of the project people would be aware that they must drop the degradable items in the green dustbin and non-degradable items should be kept in the red dustbin.

These items would be transported separately to a particular place where the organic manure would be produced out of various bio-degradable items in a unit. Surveillance would be conducted in the Dooars to ensure that the visitors would keep the wastes products in the demarcated dustbins.

A senior official of the resorts owners association in the area said that many hotels and resorts in the area used to face problems in discarding various items. As there is not enough space, they had to put the items on the road side. Once the new project is implemented, the people would find place to dump the waste products.

The hotel owners have already urged the district administration to stop the usage of plastic carry bags. It would be easier to maintain the cleanliness in the area once the project gets started.

A senior official of the district said that the organic manures produced out of various degradable items would be used in the tea gardens. The new project will create employment in Dooars.