Varanasi: In efforts towards getting the city freed from garbage accumulated at the dumping ground in Karsada, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation initiated the disposal process following a formal launch by Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari on Tuesday. The mayor said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had initiated this project on April 28, and in over a year, this garbage dump will be transformed into a dense forest.Speaking on the occasion, UP Ayush Minister of State (Independent Charge), Dayashankar Mishra ‘Dayalu’, said that those who hate this mountain of garbage today will feel peace in the garden built here 1.5 years later. He said that the work of making charcoal and electricity from garbage is also being successfully carried out today.Approximately 12.64 lakh metric tons of garbage has accumulated over the past 10 years at the Karsada dumping ground posing a major problem for the surrounding environment and residents, said the mayor, adding that the VMC has taken responsibility to eliminate this waste scientifically.A budget of Rs 53.15 crore has been allocated for the project under which the garbage will be sorted and properly disposed of via the ‘biomining’ process. The corporation has planned to develop a dense forest on this 25 acres of land using Japan’s renowned ‘Miyawaki’ technique. This will not only reduce the city’s carbon footprint, but the area will also emerge as an eco-friendly green belt, strengthening the local ecosystem.Municipal commissioner Himanshu Nagpal said that the city generates an average of 1,200 to 1,300 metric tons of waste daily, which is currently being disposed of 100%. This effort at Karsada will prove to be a major milestone in making the city ‘Swachh Kashi-Sundar Kashi’. The company ‘Eco Stan Infra Private Limited’ has been assigned the task to carry out waste disposal through ‘biomining’ technology. A special ‘Kleemann machine’ is being used for this purpose and the entire process will be monitored through drones.Poonam Maurya of the district panchayat said that the project will make this place a safe and clean heritage for future generations.This green belt at Karsada will not only enhance the beauty of the city but will also purify the local air. In addition, the corporation is also expected to earn approximately Rs10 crore in additional income through carbon credits from this process.
