Belgachia dumpyard: State submits Rs 200cr action plan to NGT
Times of India | 25 December 2025
Kolkata: The Bengal govt placed a detailed, time-bound action plan before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Eastern Zone Bench, to address the deepening solid-waste management crisis at the saturated Belgachia dumpyard in Howrah — long flagged by experts as a site that can "take no more waste".
The affidavit, filed by Joly Chaudhuri, director of the State Urban Development Agency (SUDA), follows the NGT's Sept 25, 2025, order that took suo motu cognisance of a TOI report warning about the dumpyard's critical condition. The tribunal directed the state to submit a concrete roadmap with clear timelines, budgets, and accountability mechanisms in connection with the case filed by green crusader Subhas Datta.
According to the affidavit, the state sanctioned nearly Rs 96 crore for large-scale bio-mining and land reclamation of legacy waste at the Belgachia Trenching Ground under Phase I and Phase II, with the entire exercise slated for completion by Dec 2027. The project, being executed through the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), targets the scientific processing of around 10 lakh metric tonnes of accumulated waste, at a planned rate of about 2,000 tonnes per day, factoring in monsoon disruptions.
In parallel, the state earmarked an additional Rs 100 crore for setting up a dedicated waste processing plant for the Howrah Municipal Corporation. The proposed facility will come up on a 16.7-acre plot at Baigachi Mouza and is also scheduled to be commissioned by Dec 2027. Until then, segregated waste collected door-to-door is being transported to Dhapa and Baidyabati dumping sites as an interim arrangement to prevent further piling up at Belgachia.
The affidavit noted that door-to-door collection and segregation have already begun in 25 of Howrah's 50 wards, with a phased plan to cover all wards by March 31, 2026. Civic officials have been asked to finalise ward-wise micro-plans for collection, transportation, and segregation, including markets and commercial establishments, to ensure that fresh wastes do not turn into new legacy wastes.
Beyond solid waste, the action plan also addresses sewage and septage management—another chronic pollution source in the Belgachia belt. Major drains have already been diverted to the 65-MLD Arupara sewage treatment plant, while septage from household septic tanks is being co-treated at the faecal sludge treatment facility within the same complex. Pollution-abatement schemes for several other critical canals and khals are under preparation, with district authorities instructed to closely track progress.
The minutes of two high-level review meetings held in October and December revealed a tight monitoring framework: weekly and fortnightly reviews by KMDA, monthly reviews chaired by the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department, and penalty clauses for agencies missing deadlines. The district magistrate of Howrah has also been tasked with overseeing rehabilitation measures, including new housing for 60 families affected by the dumpyard's operations.
Environmental experts involved in the deliberations stressed the need to accelerate bio-mining to prevent further health and ecological risks in the densely populated neighbourhoods surrounding Belgachia. The NGT is expected to assess the adequacy of the plan and compliance milestones at the next hearing.