Mamata urges people to 'Save Green and Stay Clean'

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday floated a new slogan 'Save Green, Stay Clean' through her Twitter handle. Banerjee's tweet assumes significance as today (Sunday) is National Pollution Prevention Day.

"Today is National Pollution Prevention Day. Let us strive to 'Save Green, Stay Clean'. In #Bangla, (Bengal) we have set up a six-member committee headed by the Chief Secretary to look into environment issues," Banerjee tweeted.

It may be mentioned that Bengal's stride towards clean and green mission has already received accolades at the national level. New Town has already been recognised as a Green City by the Indian Gold Building Council (IGBC) and has been awarded for its PPP project of app-based bicycle sharing scheme created under the state's Green City Mission.

CEO of New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) Animesh Bhattacharya received the award in New Delhi on Saturday in the Best PPP model category. A senior NKDA official said: "We held a meeting late afternoon and we will start a massive campaign in line with the slogan of the Chief Minister."

The bicycle sharing service that was introduced last year had started with 300 bicycles. But presently, 2,300 cycles are on the roads. The NKDA is planning to make it more popular.

The green cycles are dockless, GPS-enabled, tubeless with required security features on a rental basis. The NKDA has allowed the parking locations of bicycles on payment of nominal fees.

Several steps have already been taken under the Green City Mission in New Town that includes extensive plantation, persuading corporate houses to adopt and maintain greens, planned landscaping, use of LED streetlights and solar energy, enforcing spot fines for littering, GPS-monitored mechanical sweeping of roads, rooftop farming, 10 electric vehicle charging stations, three AC electric buses, cycle lanes and the like.

Banerjee has recently instructed her officials to carry out massive state-wide campaigns to ensure green and clean Bengal. Steps will be taken for the renovation of waterbodies and creating better infrastructure for solid waste management.

"We will carry out a massive campaign to create awareness among people against spitting or throwing garbage indiscriminately," a senior official of the state Municipal Affairs department said.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has also taken strides towards a clean and green city by replacing a majority of open vats with compactor stations. Open drains have also been covered in large parts of the city.