Kolkata: Hopes have brightened for the construction of an alternative landfill adjacent to the Dhapa dumping ground to reduce the load on the existing dump site, which is burdened with excessive waste.
The KMC is set to release funds that will be given to over 10,000 farmers for acquiring 73 hectares of land that will be converted into a modern landfill site.
The KMC brass sent an SOS to Nabanna in Feb, expressing fear that, the overburdened Dhapa dumping ground was on the verge of collapse. A reminder was sent to the state for releasing Rs 55 crore for acquiring 73 hectares after the Belgachia (Howrah) dumping ground fiasco.
"We don't have time to wait for the release of funds by the govt, and hence the civic authority has proposed to release funds in phases for acquiring the land we need to create a new landfill site," said a KMC official.
"Overburdened with growing waste, the Dhapa dumping ground is on the verge of collapse. Kolkata's solitary dump site, which started operations in 1987 with a capacity of handling 2,500 tonnes of waste daily, is now accommodating 5,000 tonnes daily. Now that the KMC is forced to take another 300 tonnes of garbage from Howrah, civic engineers have sounded an alert that a disasteris waiting to happen at Dhapa," said the official.