Kolkata area declared garbage vat-free

Stepping towards a greener future, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) declared an area of the city "garbage vat-free" on the occasion of World Environment Day Wednesday, said an official.

"We have done a very significant thing on the World Environment Day. We have declared ward no. 85 (Deshapriya Park in south Kolkata) as vat-free as in there are no garbage vats in that area," Debasish Kumar, member, mayor-in-council, told IANS.

According to Kumar, the move was facilitated by the "use of 10 battery-operated hydraulic garbage collection vehicles that removed litter door-to-door and dumped them in compactors" for disposal.

"If necessary we will introduce more such vehicles," added Kumar.

Kumar was part of the panel that conferred awards Wednesday to six Durga Puja pandals for adopting eco-friendly practices last year.

Termed 'Serader Sera Nirmal Pujo Puroshkar', the award initiative is the brainchild of NGO Environmental Governed Integrated Organisation (EnGIO) and is supported by various departments of the state government.

The World Environment Day is observed June 5 every year to encourage people to take positive environmental action.