Bengal once feared its rivers. Now, it fears what flows into them.
As Bengal urbanises rapidly, the rivers that once flooded now choke with plastic, untreated sewage, and municipal waste. The threat has shifted from destructive water to destructive waste, affecting public health, ecosystems, and urban resilience.
West Bengal currently faces a pressing environmental and public health crisis: it generates a staggering 7,875.55 tonnes of solid waste daily but processes a mere 588.65 tonnes, yielding a dismal 8% treatment rate. This inefficiency, compounded by declining door-to-door waste collection, contrasts sharply with states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Chandigarh, which boast nearly 100% daily waste processing. Thus, necessitating a comprehensive and technology-driven change to prevent increasing environmental degradation.
The solution for West Bengal relies on a multi-pronged approach, drawing heavily on modern technology and mechanisation, as exemplified by leading states. This transformation, however, demands substantial, strategic investment across several critical areas
Upgrading Collection with Smart & Mechanised Fleets
In many cases, doing a door-to-door waste collection remains incomplete. It could be rectified by deploying GPS-enabled, multi-compartment collection vehicles. These are specifically designed to collect segregated wet and dry waste at the source, preventing commingling and enabling real-time monitoring of routes and pickups.
Each such specialist vehicle can cost between INR15 to 30 lakhs. For a state managing thousands of tonnes of waste daily across numerous urban local bodies, will require a huge investment plan for the fleet alone, alongside ongoing operational and maintenance costs. A centralised command and control system for GPS tracking and route optimisation, including software and hardware, would add a further investment.
Establishing Advanced Material Recovery & Processing Facilities
To elevate the low processing rate, significant infrastructure upgrades are imperative. This entails constructing Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to efficiently sort dry recyclable waste using technologies like trommel screens for size separation and magnetic separators for metals.
A basic mechanised MRF might cost around INR50 lakhs. However, the larger & more sophisticated facilities capable of handling hundreds of tonnes daily, equipped with advanced automation, could require a bigger investment.
For the organic fraction, establishing modern composting units, from smaller decentralised units costing INR 2-15 lakhs to larger mechanised plants with bigger investment, is vital.
Implementing Strategic Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Plants
For residual, non-recyclable, non-compostable waste, investing in Waste-to-Energy plants offers a viable, albeit capital-intensive, solution. These facilities convert waste into electricity or other forms of energy.
A significant WtE plant, capable of processing hundreds of tonnes daily, can demand an investment ranging from INR100 crores and more. The precise cost depends on the chosen technology and plant capacity. Such investments reduce landfill dependency and generate revenue.
While there are not many WtE plants that can be counted as a successful project in India, yet the option still remains.
Remediating Legacy Waste Through Bio-mining
Addressing existing, unscientifically dumped waste in landfills is paramount for environmental restoration. Bio-mining operations, which excavate, segregate and process old waste, are essential.
The cost of bio-mining typically ranges from INR 300 to INR 1,000 per cubic metre of waste. Considering the vast volumes of legacy waste accumulated, this component alone could necessitate a huge investment, depending on the size of existing dump sites.
There are several successful projects of bio-mining in North India.
Adopting Smart Bins and IoT for Optimised Collection
To further enhance collection efficiency and reduce unnecessary trips, deploying smart bins equipped with ultrasonic fill-level sensors offers a transformative step. These sensors provide real-time data on bin fullness, enabling dynamic route planning.
While individual smart bins range from INR 5,000 to INR 50,000+, a state-wide deployment would represent a substantial investment, along with ongoing data management and software costs.
Establishing Integrated Data Management and Monitoring Systems
All these technological components must integrate into a centralised data analytics and monitoring platform. This system would provide real-time dashboards for tracking collection routes, processing plant performance and overall waste flow, enabling data-driven decision-making and continuous optimisation.
The development and implementation of such comprehensive software and hardware ecosystem would involve an investment.
Overall Investment and Funding
Considering the scale of waste generated by West Bengal (nearly 8,000 TPD) and the need for a complete overhaul, the total investment required would likely be in the range of several thousand crores of rupees over the next five to 10 years.
The substantial undertaking would require a blend of funding: significant financial assistance from Central Government schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U 2.0), substantial allocation from the State Budget, contributions from Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), attracting Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and exploring avenues like Green Bonds or loans from multilateral agencies.
The economic benefits derived from resource recovery and the averted costs of environmental damage and public health crises underscore the long-term returns on such a vital investment.
THEN
The Damodar Floods (Sorrow of Bengal)
• Natural disaster beyond human control
• Seasonal floods devastated homes and crops
• Water overflow displaced communities
• Infrastructure like DVC brought relief
• Lack of early planning led to repeated damage
• Government-led engineering projects controlled the river
NOW
The Waste Crisis (New Sorrow)
• Man-made crisis from neglect
• Waste overflow creates public health hazards
• Urgent need for decentralised waste solutions
• Poor segregation, dumping, and enforcement deepen the crisis
• Public-private waste partnerships remain underdeveloped
• Government-led engineering projects controlled the river