The state government has granted licence to a Kolkata-based company to set up Bengal’s first vehicle scrapyard in Howrah’s Uluberia, around 40km from the heart of Kolkata.
Officials said the site will be used to dispose of vehicles that are 15 years or older, in keeping with orders of Calcutta High Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
In July 2022, the NGT had directed the state government to phase out all vehicles, commercial and private, older than 15 years within six months. Earlier, in 2008, Calcutta High Court had directed the phasing out of commercial vehicles 15 years or older in the Kolkata metropolitan area.
The state government had floated tenders in March 2023 inviting bids from companies to set up vehicle scrapyards.
Among the 16 companies that showed interest, Eccel Exports Private Limited was the first to be selected for the licence to set up and operate such a facility, officials in the transport department said.
The scrapyard will come up on around 4.5 acres. Those who will turn up at the site to dispose of their vehicles will be offered certificates declaring that the vehicles have been successfully sent for scrapping, officials said.
“We are in the process of setting up the plant now and we hope to be operational within three months,” Anantshri Gupta of Eccel Exports Private Limited told The Telegraph.
“Since we are the first, we would not like to talk much about the vehicle scrapping facility right now.”
Officials in the transport department said the scrapyard will handle at least 10,000 vehicles annually.
Similar plants will be set up in other districts with the state government facilitating coordination among various departments for a quick no-objection certificate.
According to records with the state government and Vahan, the national database of registered vehicles, there are around 2 lakh commercial vehicles and 18 lakh private vehicles that are 15 years or older in Kolkata.
Close to 6.98 lakh commercial vehicles and around 65 lakh private vehicles across the state fall in that category.
“We have deregistered close to 2 lakh vehicles registered before 2007, which are 15 years or older. The deregistered vehicles can’t ply because they don’t exist in records,” said a transport department official. “We plan to deregister around 15,000 such vehicles every year.”
The government has decided to set up vehicle scrapyards in areas covered by seven municipal corporations: Kolkata, Howrah, Siliguri, Salt Lake, Chandernagore, Asansol and Durgapur.
“An incentive policy is under the government’s consideration. We have proposed that owners who are disposing of old vehicles be offered some discounts and waivers when they buy new vehicles,” said an official.