KMC to collect dry leaves to check waste burning

KOLKATA: To end the menace of conservancy staff setting light to dry leaves collected after sweeping parks and pavements in the city, Kolkata Municipal Corporation has decided to rope in 100-day workers for collection of dry leaves all through the day and dump them at the nearest solid waste management station or dumpsite.

The decision comes a day after Kolkata Police issued an order that banned burning of waste in the city. The move is aimed at controlling air pollution. Burning of waste contributes to particulate matter count, particularly in winter when trees shed copious amount of leaves.


“We have decided to rope in 100-day workers for collection of dry leaves from major parks across the city. The work will be done from dawn to dusk so that no leaves are left for burning,” a KMC official said. This apart, gardeners posted in various parks have been asked to keep a tab on burning of leaves at night for warmth.

Green activists welcomed the Kolkata Police announcement and the resultant decision from KMC but some said the issue needed to be tackled holistically so that long-term solutions emerge. What has been troubling them is the paucity of space at Dhapa dump site where nearly 4,500 tonne of waste is disposed daily. Already overflowing beyond the holding capacity, waste in Dhapa is often set to light so that they are reduced to ashes. However, the particulate matter and carbon that is released in the process has turned the city’s air particularly foul this year.

“Waste burning has become a major menace. The ideal solution would be converting waste into revenue. But that has not happened in the state. Instead, waste — domestic, agriculture and industrial — are being widely burnt,” said Biswajit Mukherjee, former law officer at the state pollution control board (PCB) and now an environment activist.

Subhas Datta, whose PILs have forced governments to act on environmental issues in the past, says Kolkata Police’s step is laudable but believes the PCB needs to act as well and draw up an action plan. “The Calcutta high court had nearly a decade ago asked the PCB to issue a notification prohibiting burning of waste. Such a notification was issued in 2008 but the law remained dormant as it was never acted upon. Burning of leaves continued unabated, even at the Maidan. This is dangerous because with its numerous clubs and thousands playing various games, there is need for more oxygen,” he pointed out.

NGO Legal Initiative for Forest & Environment analyst Kakana Das, too, felt the problem needed to be tackled at homes where waste needed to be segregated at source so that overall solid municipal waste declined. “Once you burn waste, the recycle value is lost. Instead, when plastic and other items are burnt, toxic chemicals and gases are released. We need to increase recyclability. The compactors we have reduces waste volume but it is not a solution. We have to promote the habit of recycling,” she said.