Two years since its inauguration, the construction-and-demolition-waste plant of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is still struggling to get enough waste to process.
Inaugurated in 2023, the plant that has the capacity to process 500 tonnes of waste every day is receiving only about 250 tonnes a day, said an official.
It has yet to start using the waste to make paver blocks and kerb stones, though sand and aggregate are being made there.
On Saturday, the civic body’s top officials met to discuss ways to plug the leaks and increase the supply of construction and demolition waste to the plant in New Town. Though the plant has been set up in New Town, the KMC operates it.
“We have stressed increased coordination between various departments of the KMC to fix the leaks. The waste generated from all our projects must reach the plant,” said an official.
Sources said the waste generated during laying new water or drainage lines or during repairs of roads and footpaths were getting mixed with other waste and being dumped in the Dhapa waste disposal ground. If this waste is kept separate and sent to the New Town plant, it will increase the volume of construction and demolition waste reaching the plant.
Under-construction buildings or an old building under the hammer to make way for a new one are sources of huge volumes of such waste.
Although there are provisions to issue stop-work notices to under-construction buildings in case they do not hand over the waste to KMC, the provision has rarely been implemented.
“We will now use this provision against the owners of under-construction buildings that do not hand over the waste to us,” said a KMC official.
“The volume of construction and demolition waste that should have reached the plant if all under-construction buildings sent their waste is not happening. This shows that the waste is getting transported elsewhere. This has to be stopped,” said an official.
The official said one person in every borough will have to make rounds of wards and see if construction waste was lying uncleared anywhere.
Sources said the waste is usually used to fill up ponds and water bodies that are then grabbed for real estate.
The construction and demolition waste plant was set up by a private company. The land was given by the state government. The KMC had assured the company 415 tonnes of waste every day and allowed it to sell the by-products like sand, aggregate, paver blocks and kerb stones.
“We are not being able to fulfil our commitment of giving 415 tonnes a day,” said the official.
The waste, if thrown anywhere, also becomes a source of dust and adds to air pollution. “Proper disposal can improve the city’s air quality,” said an official.
