The residents of Dankuni Municipality are living in agony over the recent incidents in and around the garbage dumping grounds at Howrah and Belgachia, have now intensified their longstanding demand for the relocation of the existing garbage dumping ground from the residential and market areas in Dankuni.

Experts believe that due to massive garbage accumulation, the soil is losing its bearing capacity. Moreover, the accumulation of methane gas underground can cause explosions and fires while contaminating groundwater. The presence of methane gas is also a major cause of landslides in residential areas, leading to wide cracks in residential and commercial buildings in Howrah and Belgachia.

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The Dankuni Municipality was formed in 2009. However, to this day, the faulty drainage system has not been upgraded to prevent severe waterlogging, which lasts for days during the monsoon. Additionally, garbage dumping continues in a residential area and business marketplace at the junction of Durgapur Expressway and Delhi Road at TN Mukherjee Road.

Local residents and business owners have repeatedly drawn the attention of the Dankuni Municipality to the grave situation. Garbage filth gets scattered on the busy road, and the unbearable foul smell has forced people to stay indoors with closed doors and windows. Affected residents have complained that they are living in extremely unhygienic conditions and fear serious illness.

Local businessmen have also expressed their distress, stating, “We are incurring huge losses as customers are avoiding the marketplace due to the dumped garbage and unbearable stench.”

There are several high-rise buildings in the vicinity. Residents fear that methane gas produced within the garbage heap will weaken the soil, triggering ground-level subsidence, which could result in massive cracks in multi-storey buildings.

The affected people of the area have blamed the Dankuni Municipality for its indifferent attitude.

Vice-chairman of Dankuni Municipality, Prakash Raha, said, “We are aware of the miseries of the people. We have a piece of land a little further away, which will serve as the permanent garbage dumping ground for Dankuni Municipality. The shifting of the dumping ground will take place soon, once the resistance from residents in the surrounding area is amicably resolved.”