Awareness initiatives for environment in city, schools and markets on KMC radar

Kolkata: The Environment department of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will carry out awareness programmes regarding environmental issues through out the year. There will be programmes at each of the 16 boroughs and awareness activities will be carried out in schools and market places.

The observance kicked off with a programme in front of KMC headquarters to mark the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5 in presence of Mayor Firhad Hakim and other senior officials of the civic body and a number of school students.

The programme was not held on June 5 as there was a national holiday due to Eid which fell on the same day.

"There will be awareness activities at the borough level to make people aware of the evil effects of air pollution, plastic pollution, pollution from construction materials etc. The borough with the best awareness programme will be awarded by the civic body," said Swapan Samaddar, MemberMayor in Council (Environment ) said.

Sammadar added that the civic body will reach out to schools in the city and market places too. "We are stressing upon awareness campaigns in schools as we feel that it is the students who can deliver the message of environment issues in the best possible way. Students will tell their parents about the need of planting more trees and preserve greenery," the Mayor said.

Plantation programmes were held across the city on Friday and school students were roped in large numbers.

Immediately after taking oath as the city's Mayor in December 2018 Hakim had announced that the civic body will be waiving property tax upto 90 percent if somebody takes to urban forestry by planting big trees on his/ her land. The tax deduction will be on the basis of the land where he takes up the plantation programme.