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agencies working for the city’s betterment |
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 Asian
Development Bank: Rs 1,245-crore loan for Calcutta Environment Improvement Project
French
Protocol Fund: Financial and technical assistance to tone up water supply management
British
Department for International Development: Rs 230-crore grant to the CMC under
overseas development assistance scheme
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After sending out feelers to Britain, France and Germany, mayor Subrata Mukherjee has decided to knock on the doors of the Russians for advanced solid-waste management tips.
The decision was taken after a discussion between the mayor and municipal commissioner Debashis Som last week. It is a follow-up of last year?s visit by a delegation from the science and technology ministry of the Russian Federation.
During the discussion, three major problems were identified: the rapid shrinking of the ?Dhapa square mile?, landfill with garbage (discontinued in other parts of the world) and open-air garbage dumping.
Solving the problems have assumed added importance, now that the area has turned out to be the new growth hub of the city.
Calcutta generates 3,000 tonnes of garbage a day. Over 80 per cent of it is organic matter. ?We require a mechanised system to handle trash and turn its organic part into manure,? said mayor Mukherjee.
?The Russians are interested in signing a memorandum of understanding with us. They have offered to cushion 80 per cent of the equipment and training cost,? he added.
The assistance programme includes training of civic conservancy personnel in Russia in modern methods of garbage disposal.
The main thrust of the scheme is on cutting down pollution at the Dhapa dumping site through a more scientific method of garbage disposal and a round-the-clock monitor of the pollution level.
The delegation from the Russian Federation ? led by environment minister S. Kotov and administrator of foreign relations Valery S. Roudnitsky ? had come up with a proposal for a tie-up with Calcutta Municipal Corporation on pollution control and environment management related to solid waste disposal.
They had also submitted a proposal for cooperation in environment monitoring and a pollution-control system.
This is the first time the Russians have offered to participate in the improvement of Calcutta?s civic infrastructure. The experts had decided to visit the dumping site before preparing a blueprint and supplying equipment.
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