Desilting of Tolly Nullah starts

KOLKATA: Mayor Firhad Hakim on Thursday marked the commencement of desilting work at Tolly Nullah by operating heavy duty machinery of KMC himself during the inauguration ceremony. This work is a part of the complete overhaul of Tolly Nullah to be taken up by the civic body to curb pollution. "There was a time when the local residents living in and around Tolly Nullah will do swimming there. But gradually urbanisation and lack of dredging polluted the water and presently at many places along its course it has narrowed to the extent of a sewage canal," Hakim said.

The dredging work near the boat canal in Majerhat had started in February. "Now, we have received sanction for desilting work from Chetla bridge to Kudghat," Hakim said.Mayor appealed to the local residents not to dump garbage or plastic in the Tolly Nullah and directed concerned KMC officials to do plantation on the bank. The overall work of rejuvenation of Tolly Nullah involves setting up of three Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) at strategic locations and augmentation of the 16 pumping stations situated along the bank.

The pollution of the Tolly Nullah has been under the supervision of the National Green Tribunal for the last few years.A senior KMC official said that the three STPs will come up at Garia, Kudghat and at Sukhapukur in Golf Green and a new pumping station will be set up at Garia which will be linked to the three STPs. The sixteen pumping stations along the bank of Tolly Nullah will be augmented with the infrastructural upgradation of the equipments. The funds for the project will come from World Bank through National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) that has already given its nod for the project. The entire project cost will be to the tune of Rs 310 crore.