In Howrah, it’s a tale of two floods — one of water, the other of garbage. While some neighbourhoods have remained waterlogged for weeks, those spared the flooding are drowning in heaps of rotting waste.
Mounds of discarded items lie scattered across streets and footpaths, as if civic authorities are located light-years away. In truth, some of the most garbage-choked areas are just a few kilometres from the headquarters of the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC).
According to official data, Howrah generates around 60 tonnes of waste daily. With over 200 waste disposal sites, the city is still struggling to keep up with its own garbage output.
In March, disaster struck the city’s largest dumping ground in Belgachia. Roads cracked and nearly 100 homes collapsed after decades of unregulated, unscientific garbage piling caused severe land subsidence across the 100-acre site.
Nearly five months on, roads in many areas remain littered with waste. Some
residents are forced to keep their windows shut to block the stench. Others feel helpless.
“I have been trying to sell my shop for a month,” said Mohammad Aftab, who runs a mobile store near GT Road in Shibpur. “Customers can’t even park their two-wheelers because the road is covered in garbage.”
His shop, adjoining Vivek Vihar, started by his grandfather 30 years ago, now sits in a zone that shoppers avoid.
“Garbage collectors often don’t turn up. Vendors and locals dump trash right on the road. The litter never clears, and it’s killing my business,” he added.
The rot isn’t limited to residential and market areas. Even Howrah’s thalassaemia and dengue detection centre, near Panchanantala Road, is surrounded by filth.
A clogged drain spilling black water and a reeking garbage heap greet visitors. Residents say every time it rains, overflowing drains bring in garbage that swamps homes and shops.
“The HMC had planned to set up a pumping station here. Instead, the area turned into an open vat,” said a local shopkeeper. “I’ve had to put wheels on my furniture to move it quickly when flooding happens.”
The crisis extends to areas like Chatterjee Hat, Sandhya Bazar, Benaras Road, and C Road, where open drains clogged with waste obstruct the flow of water.
HMC officials said solid waste management is a key focus area. Barrowmen collect garbage daily, drains are cleaned regularly, and roads are swept twice a day.
“The number of homes and apartments in Howrah has grown rapidly. The
pressure on civic infrastructure is enormous,” said a member of the HMC’s board of administrators.
“We understand the challenges and are working towards a vat-free Howrah. But it won’t happen overnight.”