Councillors urged to lead anti-dengue campaigns in their respective wards

KOLKATA: Mayor Firhad Hakim urged all councillors to step out and lead campaign against dengue in their respective wards so that private properties that are lying abandoned and emerging as the breeding ground for mosquitoes can be cleaned up.

"The conservancy workers are apprehensive about entering into such properties, many of which are litigated. In these cases, we, being public representatives, have to take the lead. We cannot allow an entire area to be in danger for one or two callous people,"Hakim said who took the lead by holding a campaign against dengue in his own 82 ward in Chetla and in the adjacent ward 73 in Bhowanipore on Wednesday morning.

The Mayor was accompanied by Kajari Banerjee, who happens to be the councilor of ward 73.

"The under construction buildings will be supervised. If it is found that a particular house is having stagnant water, stop work notice will be served. We will clean the property and attach the charge along with property tax bill. We will drag the offender to the municipal court if we find violations," he added. He singled out a house in Chetla where the KMC's notice regarding garbage accumulating has been ignored. He threatened to start legal proceedings against the offender.

Hakim said that a survey through drones has revealed that as many as 350 buildings in Bhowanipore area have roof top water tanks lying uncovered which have emerged as breeding ground of mosquitoes.

The number of persons affected with dengue in Kolkata is over 5000 with Borough XII, X having high cases.