Howrah to turn vat free, HMC to set up 8 compactor stations

Kolkata: In a bid to make Howrah a vat free city, the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) is soon going to set up compactor stations at eight different locations in the city.

At present, 650 metric tonne solid waste is collected in a day in Howrah. Hence, the authorities have stressed on better solid waste management in the city, which has a population of around 15 lakh. Mayor Dr Rathin Chakraborty said: "Around seven to eight vats can be removed against each compactor station. It will help in reducing the total number of vats to less than 300 in Howrah city."

The compactor stations will be installed following a proper plan of action and the entire area under HMC has been demarcated as Nabanna Zone, Central Zone, Howrah Station Zone, South Zone among other zones.

The stations will be set up in such a way that each one of the zones becomes vat-free one after the other.

According to a senior official of the civic body, there are only four compactors operating in certain parts of the city. "It is inadequate compared to the quantity of solid waste generated every day in Howrah. Thus, the decision to set up eight more compactor station has been taken to ensure better management of the solid waste. The number of compactor stations will be increased gradually," the official said.

Plots of land to set up the stations have been identified and the construction work for the same is also going to start as soon as possible. The eight locations include Liluah, Belur and Pilkhana among five others.

Back in 2015, Bally Municipality was merged with HMC and subsequent initiatives were undertaken to keep the area including Belur, Bally and Liluah in North

Howrah clean.

Now, with the decision to set up compactors stations, the situation will further improve.

With the installations of the compactor stations, residents of Howrah will no more have to bear foul smell as and when the waste will be transported to dump yards.

Moreover, garbage will not spill over trucks in which it is carried and the roads will remain clean from dirty water that usually fall from garbage carrying trucks.