Kolkata: The recent landslide at Howrah’s dumping ground has compelled the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to prod the state government for securing an alternative dumping ground adjacent to present Dhapa landfill which has reached its saturation point.
The KMC is learnt to have once again written to the state government expressing serious concerns over the Dhapa situation. Millennium Post had earlier reported that KMC was planning to construct a waste processing plant and a Secured Landfill Facility (SLF) at Dhapa in compliance with a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order. However, the civic body has to offer about Rs 55 crore compensation to the farmers who are allegedly occupying this KMC land which is also a part of East Kolkata Wetland (EKW). Now, the KMC is learnt to have sent an urgent intimation to the state for funds to compensate farmers so the land can be put to use as soon as possible.
An official said suitable land is scarce due to Kolkata’s urban sprawl, wetland protections and resistance from local farmers. Earlier searches in Joka and Maheshtala areas failed due to land unavailability and suitability issues. Sources said the suspension of biomining operations at Dhapa, after the contracted agency processed only 15 lakh tonnes of the 40 lakh-tonne legacy waste, has delayed space reclamation efforts. A new tender is in process, but timelines remain uncertain. Dhapa, located on the eastern fringes of Kolkata near the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, was originally designed to handle 2,500 tonnes of waste per day. However, it now receives nearly double that amount, including waste from Kolkata’s 144 wards, as well as Salt Lake, New Town, Panihati and even Howrah (an additional 300 tonnes daily).
The landfill, spanning 23 hectares of active dumping area and a closed 12.14-hectare section, has grown into a towering garbage mound, with heights exceeding 50 feet, as noted in a 2015 KMC assessment. The overburdened state of Dhapa has led to methane emissions, frequent fires, release of toxic fumes such as dioxins and furans from burning plastics. Residents and workers near Dhapa face respiratory ailments, eye irritation and reduced life expectancy.
The recent land subsidence in Howrah’s Belgachia dumping ground highlighted the risk of the same at Dhapa.
KMC mayor and cabinet minister Firhad Hakim had visited the Howrah site four days after the landslide and assured the state will build shelters for displaced families. Dumping was stopped at the landfill but instead it was decided that out of Howrah’s 600 tonnes of daily waste, 300 tonnes would be redirected to Dhapa and rest to Baidyabati.
Environmental experts said the reliance on overburdened sites like Dhapa, coupled with local opposition and infrastructural deficits, suggests that a sustainable resolution remains elusive.
Meanwhile, a fire erupted at the Madhyamgram dumping ground on Saturday. The exact cause remains under investigation but preliminary reports suggest it may have been triggered by the accumulation of methane gas. The blaze quickly spread across the site, producing thick plumes of toxic smoke that engulfed nearby residential areas. Local sources indicate that the dumping ground, managed by the Madhyamgram Municipality, has been a longstanding repository for municipal solid waste from the town and surrounding areas.