West Bengal

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Paschim Bardhaman, June 26: West Bengal's Minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Agnimitra Paul, visited the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) in Durgapur on Friday and emphasized the need to utilize advanced technologies developed by the premier research institution for scientific waste management across the state. During her visit, the minister also alleged that the previous state government had failed to make effective use of technologies developed by central government institutions, despite their potential to address several urban challenges.

Speaking after inspecting the institute, Agnimitra Paul said that people had earlier been led to believe that the Central Government was depriving West Bengal of development. However, she claimed that citizens are now realizing why the concept of a "double-engine government" had been advocated, stating that closer coordination between the Centre and the State would help accelerate development and the implementation of modern technologies.

The minister announced that CMERI's innovative technologies would now be used to tackle the long-standing problem of accumulated municipal and solid waste across urban areas in West Bengal. According to her, several municipalities in the state are expected to benefit from scientific solutions developed by the institute. These include technologies for converting plastic waste into fuel, transforming biodegradable waste into organic fertilizer, producing alternative fuel from dry leaves, and manufacturing low-cost bricks using debris generated from demolished buildings and construction waste.

She stated that these technologies have the potential to revolutionize urban waste management while simultaneously reducing environmental pollution and generating additional revenue for municipal bodies. By adopting scientific methods of recycling and resource recovery, local civic authorities will be able to process waste more efficiently and reduce the burden on existing landfill sites.

Agnimitra Paul further said that the previous administration had not given adequate importance to research and technological innovations developed by central institutions. She maintained that the present government is committed to strengthening cooperation between the Centre and the State to establish a modern and sustainable waste management system. Under the proposed framework, the State Government will provide the required land, while CMERI will extend technical expertise, scientific knowledge, and operational assistance for implementing the projects.

The minister explained that new waste-processing centres would be established to handle the enormous quantities of legacy waste accumulated over the years. At these facilities, plastic, metal, biodegradable, and construction waste would be scientifically segregated before being recycled, reused, or converted into useful products. Such initiatives, she said, would not only improve urban cleanliness but also contribute significantly to environmental conservation and sustainable development.

She also informed that the Urban Development Department has already sent an official communication to CMERI regarding collaboration on these projects. Plans are being prepared to implement advanced solid waste management systems and legacy waste remediation projects in different parts of the state by utilizing the institute's cutting-edge technologies.

The minister expressed confidence that the collaboration between the State Government and CMERI would create an efficient and environmentally responsible model of waste management capable of addressing one of the biggest civic challenges facing urban West Bengal.

The visit were Durgapur West MLA Lakshan Ghorui and Durgapur East MLA Chandrasekhar Banerjee, who accompanied the minister during the inspection and discussions at the research institute.