Siliguri civic body seizes trucks dumping garbage from Sikkim

Siliguri: The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) intercepted three trucks attempting to dump waste from Sikkim at the dumping ground in Siliguri on Tuesday morning.

The trucks, carrying approximately 10 tons of garbage each, were stopped by SMC officials at 5:30 am on Tuesday. Gautam Deb, the Mayor of Siliguri, agitated over the incident, held a press conference on Tuesday to address the issue. “This is not the first time waste has been illegally transported from Sikkim and dumped in or near Siliguri. Earlier, medical waste was discovered dumped near the Baikunthapur Forest, posing significant ecological and health hazards,” said the Mayor.

“Such activity will not be tolerated. I will inform the respective officials of our government and the Chief Minister about the issue. Legal action should be taken at the earliest,” he added. The trucks bearing registration numbers SK08D0324; WB7341020, and WB73H1054 were caught red-handed before the garbage could be offloaded. An official complaint has been lodged by the SMC with the police, and further action is expected. The issue came to light earlier on November 11, when locals in the Farabari area intercepted four trucks from Sikkim attempting to dump waste on vacant land near the Baikunthapur Forest.

The dumping site was a mere 50 meters from the forest boundary, raising alarms among environmentalists.

Experts have voiced serious concerns over the ecological damage that such illegal dumping could cause. Medical waste, in particular, poses risks to public health and local wildlife, potentially contaminating soil and water sources.

The SMC has ramped up efforts to secure the dumping grounds, including increasing the number of CCTV cameras and placing lock gates at entry points. Mayor Deb assured that further measures would be implemented to safeguard Siliguri’s environment and prevent illegal waste dumping.