A tiny town in West Bengal is turning waste into piles of wealth

摘要

A 163-year-old municipality administering a small town in West Bengal has shown the world how to manage solid waste in an eco-friendly way, potentially giving urban planners and administrators the key to tackling one of the biggest civic problems.The initiatives of Uttarpara-Kotrung municipality helped the Kolkata Solid Waste Management Improvement Project win a global award, defeating nearest contenders Auckland and Milan in urban solid waste management category in the C40 Mayors' Summit held in Mexico City on December 1. Uttarpara, a 10.9 sq km small city with a population of 1.9 lakh, is one of India's 415 cities with a population of 1 lakh or more. It also boasts of Asia's oldest free public library.