Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Wednesday approved a revised proposal to allot Rs 27.5 crore as crop compensation to farmers cultivating on 73 hectares of KMC-owned land at Dhapa, paving the way for setting up a modern solid waste management and processing facility.
The new proposal replaces an earlier Rs 55-crore plan that had included both crop compensation and solatium, but was later scaled down following a review by the state Finance department. The revised rate has been fixed at Rs 25,000 per cottah, limited to crop compensation only, with no solatium component.
The Finance department, while supporting the need for the project, observed that the Administrative department may explore alternative sources of financing given its importance for Kolkata’s waste management infrastructure. The land in Ward 58 at Dhapa, presently under cultivation, must now be vacated to enable the construction of modern solid waste treatment facilities.
The Dhapa area, long known for “dumping ground agriculture” where treated municipal waste and wastewater are used for irrigation, supplies more than 30 per cent of the city’s vegetables. However, with the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) directives under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, KMC is required to reclaim this land for scientific waste disposal and to comply with national environmental standards.
Under the resolution, funds will be drawn from KMC’s revenue account, and compensation will be transferred directly to farmers’ bank accounts via NEFT. Beneficiaries are required to vacate the land immediately after receiving compensation; if they fail to do so, KMC may take possession without further notice.
Officials said the decision balances compliance with environmental directives and fairness to affected cultivators, while advancing the city’s long-delayed solid waste management infrastructure.