The solid waste management (SWM) department of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), is gearing up to boost its infrastructure before the arrival of the Durga Puja, including the purchase of 500 battery operated vehicles and 50 auto tippers.
The CPI-M councillor, Ratna Roy Majumder, during the KMC House meeting today, raised questions about the SWM department, enquiring about the existing infrastructure and the steps that are being taken towards waste management before the arrival of Durga Puja.
In his reply, Debabrata Mazumder, member, mayorin-council (MMIC), SWM, said “A total of 50 auto tippers and 220 battery operated vehicles are already functioning. In addition, an etender has been floated to induct 50 more auto tippers. A tender has also been floated to induct 500 more battery operated vehicles.”
He added that all the tricycle vans in the department are now undergoing repair and will be in use before Durga puja. Answering another question on the number of wards where segregation of waste is being carried out by providing two kinds of litter bins, for biodegradable and nonbiodegradable waste, the MMIC said “ Till now, the initiative has been carried out in a total of seven wards but it is going to be implemented soon in 19 more wards of the KMC. The ‘At Source Segregation’ initiative will eventually be implemented throughout the city.”