BJP leaders and workers, led by Dabgram-Fulbari MLA Shikha Chatterjee, staged a protest in front of Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) today, demanding the relocation of the city’s dumping ground.
A large police force was deployed to prevent the protesters from forcibly entering the SMC premises. Eventually, Shikha Chatterjee and a few BJP leaders were allowed to submit a memorandum to the SMC commissioner.
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Speaking to reporters afterward, Ms Chatterjee said, “When we demanded the relocation of the dumping ground, the commissioner argued that SMC is dumping waste within its own jurisdiction. I asked the commissioner to contain the smoke and foul smell within the dumping site. Why should common people suffer due to the corporation’s negligence?”
She further alleged that local gram panchayats in her Assembly segment do not use the site for waste disposal. “Over the years, slums, schools, and residential complexes have come up in the vicinity. People are suffering from toxic smoke and unbearable stench. If the corporation cannot manage the site properly, it should be shifted elsewhere,” she added.
Taking a dig at Mayor Goutam Deb, she said, “He boasts about Solid Waste Management projects, but in reality, nothing substantial has been done.”
Reacting to her remarks, mayor Goutam Deb dismissed the allegations, saying, “I have nothing to say. I just hope good sense prevails.”
He also highlighted SMC’s recent initiatives, including the construction of a crematorium for animal carcasses and a hospital for injured and ailing street dogs.
