Kolkata, March 3 (IANS) The West Bengal government has formed an expert committee to address municipal solid waste management and recycling in various urban areas across the state, a minister said Wednesday.

'The state government has a deep concern about the whole issue, considering the urbanisation boom taking place in various parts of the state,' West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Ashok Bhattacharya said while addressing a seminar on solid waste management here.

He said the government had already taken up a number of waste management projects totalling Rs.212 crore that would benefit nearly 35 lakh people across the state.

Bhattacharya said: 'We must look for alternative areas to dump solid wastes that we collect from various municipal areas.

'The government is now trying to develop proper infrastructure and waste recycling units to manage the issue,' he added.