Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Urban Affairs, Sniawbhalang Dhar, has said that the processing of legacy waste at the Marten dumping ground is progressing steadily, with over 2 lakh tonnes of accumulated waste already excavated and recycled.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Dhar said that while the government is yet to finalise a new dumping location, priority is being given to clearing the existing waste through legacy waste processing methods.
“For the new one, we are yet to finalise. While we are yet to finalise the new location, in the meantime, we have to process all the old dumps by the method of legacy waste,” Dhar said.
He added that the clearance work is on track, with a significant portion already completed. “For the last one year, it was more than 3–4 lakh tonnes. Now more than 2 lakh tonnes have been recycled already, and around 1.8 lakh tonnes are still remaining,” he said, expressing hope that the remaining waste would be cleared within a short span of time.
Dhar expressed confidence that the project would be completed within the stipulated timeframe as outlined in the tender agreement. “I am very sure they will be able to complete the clearing of the legacy waste from Marten within the stipulated time as per the tender agreement,” he stated.
The Deputy Chief Minister also thanked local communities for their cooperation and support in waste management initiatives. He said awareness programmes conducted by the department have helped in gaining public participation.
“I am very thankful to all the localities. We have conducted awareness programmes, and people have been very cooperative. We appreciate all those who are part of the objective to make the city clean,” Dhar said.
Appealing to the public to continue practicing waste segregation, Dhar stressed the importance of separating biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. “We have set up several centres with small machineries, and we request citizens to segregate waste. Such small steps can have a very positive impact,” he added.