Hakim urges to commence pisciculture at water bodies
Kolkata: State minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs and Housing, Firhad Hakim requested the Environment department to take immediate steps for practicing agriculture on the vacant lands and pisciculture on water bodies.
He also said that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation is taking steps in order to keep away the encroachment and preservation of the East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW). Mentioning the "crime" committed by people encroaching on it, he emphasised the need to protect an area which "protects us from flood and helps increase the air quality."
EKW located on the eastern fringes of Kolkata bordering the Salt Lake township on the one hand and the new township at Rajarhat on the other is a miracle of nature as it is capable of naturally treating waste water to the extent of 910 million litres per day.
"It is not only responsible for preventing the city from massive inundation in case of heavy rain but also ensures that groundwater depletion does not emerge as a major threat for the city. Fishes, vegetables and paddy are cultivated with this water. So for maintaining the ecological balance in Kolkata we have to save EKW," a senior official of state Environment department said. It is a Ramsar site spread across 1200 hectares of land.
The Mayor Firhad Hakim gave a speech at a program of Environmental and Health impacts of Air Pollution and the need for a just energy transition in Kolkata on Saturday.
He addressed the deteriorating air quality and emphasized on the climate emergency, which has been highlighted by various scientific journals and reports.
In order to combat the mess already created by mankind, he talked about the various steps taken by the state government to promote a greener approach to urban development.
"Air Quality Monitoring and Management Cell has been made functional in three municipal areas—Asansol Municipal Corporation, Howrah Municipal Corporation and Durgapur Municipal Corporation. Similar activities will be extended to 29 cities shortly," he said. These are Non-Attainment Cities, which means one whose air did not meet the national ambient air quality standards of 2011 to 2015.
