The Trinamool-run civic board at the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) will install a styrofoam or thermocol recycling unit to curb pollution in the city.
Made of polystyrene, thermocol is non-biodegradable and is considered a major pollutant.
It will be the second such unit in the state, the first one being in Calcutta. The decision, a source said, was made after a team from SMC, including the member, mayor-in-council (conservancy), visited the plant in Calcutta recently.
“We will install a thermocol recycling unit to reduce environmental pollution. In Calcutta, there is a similar unit at Kolay Market (near Sealdah), and now, we will have a second plant in the regulated market area,” Gautam Deb, the mayor, said on Monday.
Located off NH10 in Champasari, on the north of the city, the regulated market is the largest wholesale hub for vegetables, fruits, and fish in north Bengal.
A source in the civic body explained that in the regulated market area, thermocol boxes are used for packaging fish and fruits, leading to massive waste accumulation.
On Monday, Deb held a meeting with representatives of the wholesale traders, members of the regulated market committee, and representatives of retail market committees.
They were apprised about the project through a presentation.
“We will implement the project at the regulated market premises with the assistance of the 15th finance commission. Soon, a joint survey will be conducted by the officials of SMC, the state PWD, and the agri-marketing department. Then, the detailed project report will be prepared,” added Deb.
“The estimated project cost is ₹70 lakh, and the plant will have a capacity to recycle around 500kg of thermocol every day. Once recycled, different items ranging from buttons to photo frames to toys can be made from it,” said Manik Dey, the MMIC (conservancy), of SMC.
The state agricultural department, which manages the market, plans to improve the sewage system, power supply and install CCTV cameras in the market area for better surveillance, a source said.
