Dumping trash still an issue for EBM

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 6 AUG.: Finally all political leaders have adopted a resolution stating that the English Bazaar Municipality (EBM) will dump garbage at its old vat near Chandan Park in Ward no 25 for a month and the civic body will search for another suitable place during this period in order to implement solid waste management following the guideline of the pollution control board.

The district magistrate, Mr Sridhar Ghosh had called an emergency meeting yesterday evening, when the EBM had to seek his intervention, having failed to clear any garbage for the last few days due to resistance from the local residents of the three places where the civic body had attempted to dump the waste.

Following the instruction of the district magistrate, the EBM chairman today called a meeting with all councillors to adopt a resolution on the matter.

After the meeting, almost all councillors attempted to pacify the locals at Chandan Park, on the outskirt of Malda town. They had formed a committee (Paribesh Dushan Protirodh Committee) to control the pollution created by the contented vat.

The BDO of English Bazaar block, along with the police officials and councillors, tried to convince the residents to allow the civic body to dump garbage at the vat ‘scientifically'. However, reportedly, the locals have not accepted this proposition, and are adamant that garbage will not be dumped at the vat, even only for a month while the civic body finds an alternative spot.

The Opposition leader to the Congress, Trinamul Congress and BJP board, Mr Dulal Nandan Chaki, who was also elected from ward no 25 and is one of the members of the committee, said at the councillor's meeting that he would not take responsibility for convincing the locals 'because the board had not kept its word earlier'. Despite protests, locals had allowed the civic body to dump the garbage for the last four months, he added.

English Bazaar Congress MLA, Mr Krishnendu Choudhury, who was present at an all political party meeting yesterday and had sought administrative help in order to gain the residents’ agreement to dump garbage there for a further month, said: “There should be proper management of garbage dumping in the interest of the locals. Garbage would not be dumped close to the locality and civic body workers would dump the garbage at a safe distance from the residential complexes.” The BJP councillor of the EBM, Mr Amlan Bhaduri, said: “Trouble broke out because garbage was being dumped near homs and even on either side of the state highway. As a result, people protested. The vat - nearly three acres of land - is owned by the civic body and it should dump garbage far away from residences at Chandan Park.”