Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will come up with a batch mix plant at Shirakole under Usthi police station area in South 24-Parganas. The Public Works Department (PWD) will be soon handing over the land to the civic body for constructing the plant that has already been identified by the Roads wing of the KMC.
"We have already floated the tender. The cost of building the new batch mix plant will be around Rs 2.5 crore. It will be much eco-friendly in comparison to hot mix plants," said Ratan Dey, Member Mayor-in-Council (Roads) following a meeting held by Mayor Firhad Hakim with the Roads department of the KMC.
The KMC has already installed devices recommended by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) to reduce pollution of their two hot mix plants situated at Palmer Bazar and Goragacha Road near Taratala. "A joint inspection will be held next week and WBPCB will issue a clearance certificate if the plants are found in fit condition in respect of pollution. If found unfit they will give suggestions on the basis of which necessary upgradation will be done," Dey said.
It may be mentioned that eastern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in October 2018 had banned the use of hot mix plants in the city forcing the KMC to down shutters of its two plants — one at Palmer Bazar near Entally and another at Goragacha Road in Taratala.
The KMC had sought relaxation for a certain period following which on December 18, it had provided a temporary breather by saying the civic body had to stop using hot mix technology for road repairs within four months.
The KMC had formed a Road Advisory Quality and Environment Committee to explore the ways of using environment-friendly material as an alternative of hot mix for road construction and maintenance. The committee has officials from the KMC, state PWD, Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC) and experts from IIT Kharagpur.
The committee will be sitting twice in a month and IIT Kharagpur will be playing the role of the technical advisory panel providing suggestions on environment-friendly alternatives of hot mix in the context of the city roads and also on overall improvement and longevity of the roads.