Waste-to-wealth push, road repairs in focus

Kolkata: The state govt is aiming at improving urban infrastructure and turning waste into revenue through recycling initiatives. State municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul said waste should no longer be viewed as garbage but as an economic opportunity, with plans to recycle plastic and construction debris into biogas, paver blocks and alternatives to coal. The minister recently held meetings with vendors and discussed a scientific waste management initiative in the Asansol-Durgapur region with union minister Manohar Lal Khattar during a review of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 in Delhi.Simultaneously, civic agencies are preparing for monsoon-related infrastructure work in Kolkata. Major repairs are likely on the nearly 2-km Jinjirabazar–Taratala stretch, long plagued by potholes, mud and waterlogging. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority and Kolkata Municipal Corporation are expected to begin work before the rains after a coordination meeting this week.