Convinced with the efficiency of compactor stations — 43 at work and 25 more in the pipeline — Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee has given a go-ahead to the civic board to extend the service to areas where it has still not been introduced. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation also has plans to procure movable compactor machines to take care of existing garbage vats.
This is not all. Keeping in mind next year’s assembly elections, the Kolkata Mayor has made cleanliness a priority. Accordingly, the KMC solid waste management department has requisitioned 800 trash bins that will be strategically placed to collect waste from large municipal markets. The KMC is also contemplating to introduce small battery-driven cars to replace hand carts for door-to-door collection of garbage. Such battery cars are already operational in areas like Manoharpukur Road, Sarat Bose Road and parts of Rashbehari Avenue.
However, of all these measures to make Kolkata a sparkling clean city, the Trinamool board is focusing most on the construction of more compactor stations. It was in December 2012 when Kalighat got the first compactor machine in the city. Then four more stations came up, one each in Southern Avenue, Samsul Huda Road, Tallah and Chetla.
Later West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee sanctioned a special Rs 30 crore funds for construction of compactor stations. The state funds were utilized for setting up 30 compactor stations during the period. In the last phase, the KMC set up stations at Mirza Ghalib Street to replace the infamous vat opposite the Food Corporation office. Similarly, large vats that used to spill garbage over to Camac Street, Surjya Sen Street were replaced thereafter.
The civic body will now concentrate on setting up garbage compactor machines at New Alipore, Bondel Road and Garfa Road among other areas. Initially, there was a plan to set up 78 compactor stations. But encouraged by the success of such stations, the KMC may now go up to 100 stations across the city.
“Ultimately, our aim is to make Kolkata a vat-free city. After getting a positive response from citizens, we are now committed to continue with the mission,” Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said.