West Bengal elections: Greens urge parties to manage poll waste

KOLKATA: In poll season, experts have urged political parties to take care of waste. As per a study by the International Society of Waste Management, Air and Water headed by former JU professor and waste management expert Sadhan Ghosh, a projected 15,362 tonnes of solid waste including single-use plastic in the form of banners, posters, flags and disposable cups and plates used by parties for campaigns will be generated across the state till the end of the election, but there is no mechanism to properly dispose of this waste.

Each assembly constituency covers around 300 sq km of area, barring Kultali, which is spread over 1,176 sq km. The projected waste generation has been assessed by looking into the rough figures and data assembled in the last few elections.

For example, lakhs of banners and flags are used during polls, which generate huge waste. It has been roughly assessed that about 10 tonnes of banners are used in each assembly constituency area, which amounts to a total of 2,940 tonnes of waste across all 294 assembly segments.




Similarly, roughly about eight tonnes of disposable cups, plates and other items are daily used by parties for campaigns, which accumulates to about 2,352 tonnes of waste for 294 segments. "The quantity has been estimated combining all related factors. The number could vary 10% more or less from it," Ghosh said. He added that a memorandum will be placed before EC, urging it to frame an SOP for proper disposal of waste, along with a proposal to levy fines on parties and organisations involved in waste and tyre burning during polls.