Alipurduar dumping duel

TT , 05 Dec 2019, Alipurduar: Residents ransacked the site of a dumping ground on Alipurduar town's outskirts on Wednesday, alleging the trash will lead to pollution and pose health hazards.

The protesters made it clear that they would not let the civic body dump garbage at the site on NH 31C and pointed out that Kalkut, the nearest village, is barely 700 metres from the site.

Police used teargas and wield batons on the 80-odd protesters after they blocked the highway which connects Bengal with the northeast, damaging some vehicles and an office of the contractor carrying out work at the site.

Thirteen persons were arrested. The series of incidents continued for over three hours and came in control as additional police forces reached the spot.

The highway was cleared at around 1pm, and vehicles started moving along the highway. In total, 15 persons, included five police personnel, have suffered injuries during the violence, said sources.

"We have arrested 13 persons and are in search of some others as they were involved in damaging government property, prevented government work and attacked police personnel," said Nagendranath Tripathi, the Alipurduar police chief.

The protests left residents of Alipurduar concerned. Many of them are apprehensive whether the civic body would eventually succeed in using the site -- that measures around 11 acres ­ as the dumping ground.

"The municipality here is 70 years old but till date, there is no dumping ground. Heaps of garbage lie on the streets as there is no place to remove them. It was good that finally, a site was identified and work had started. But what happened on Wednesday has left us worried," said a resident of Alipurduar.

Trinamul leaders accused the BJP of orchestrating the violence. The BJP denied the charges.