Archive · 10 Nov 2025
Kolkata Waste Plant Underutilized Despite Daily Payments
Imagine a factory that makes new things from old building stuff like bricks and cement.
The city of Kolkata has one, and they promised to pay a company to make about 400 tons of new materials every day.
But, only about 200 tons of old building stuff are actually arriving at the factory.
This means the city is paying for work that isn't being done, which is like paying for food you don't eat.
The factory opened last year and can handle up to 500 tons a day.
The city officials are trying to get more building waste to the factory and stop people from dumping it in places like lakes.
This waste is valuable and can be used to build new things, but when it's thrown away improperly, it can also make the air dirty.
Kolkata's construction and demolition waste plant in Rajarhat is operating at half its capacity, with only about 200 tonnes of waste received daily against an assured processing of nearly 400 tonnes.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) pays a private company for processing 12,500 tonnes of waste monthly (over 400 tonnes daily) regardless of the actual amount received.
The plant, operational since April 2023, has a daily capacity to process up to 500 tonnes of waste like brick, cement, and sand.
KMC officials are concerned about financial returns as half the daily payment is not yielding proportional results due to the waste shortfall.
Mayor Firhad Hakim alleges that construction waste is often diverted for illegal land filling, contributing to pollution and hindering proper disposal methods.
- Who
- Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and a private company operating the plant
- What
- The KMC's construction and demolition waste processing plant in Rajarhat is underutilized, receiving only about 200 tonnes of waste daily against an assured processing capacity of nearly 400 tonnes.
- When
- The plant opened in April 2023; daily operations are currently below capacity.
- Where
- Rajarhat, Kolkata
- Why
- Despite efforts to encourage neighboring municipalities to send waste and to prevent illegal dumping, the plant is not receiving the expected volume of construction and demolition waste, leading to financial inefficiency for the KMC.
- Plant Location
- Rajarhat, Kolkata
- Plant Operational Since
- April 2023
- Plant Capacity (Daily)
- Up to 500 tonnes
- KMC's Assured Processing (Daily)
- Nearly 400 tonnes
- Actual Waste Reaching Plant (Daily Average)
- About 200 tonnes
- Waste Processed
- Construction and demolition waste (brick, cement, sand, aggregates)
- Waste Not Accepted
- Iron reinforcements
