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Bengal

KMC cracks whip on vacant plot owners, decides to clear dumped garbage but charge the latter

Kolkata: Concerned over the vacant land, particularly in the added areas of the city emerging as a breeding ground for mosquito larvae, the health department of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to take strong action against the owners of such plots. The civic body will clean the garbage that have accumulated on the vacant land but will charge the owner for the cleaning.
"We have sent a proposal in this regard to the highest authority in the KMC," Member Mayor-In-Council (Health) Atin Ghosh said.
The civic body has to pay around Rs 2,000 to a vehicle that carries the garbage to a dumping ground. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a high-level meeting on preparedness of mosquito-borne diseases, has instructed all Municipal Corporations to shoulder the responsibility of cleaning up the garbage that accumulates on such vacant lands.
There are many such vacant lands particularly in the added areas of the city where there is vacant land. In many cases, the owner of the land lives elsewhere and comes once in a year to pay tax for his land. "We will charge them this fee during the time when they come to pay the tax," a senior official said.
In case of vacant lands when the owner cannot be traced, the health department wants the government to take possession.
"We will soon send a proposal in this regard to the government and such lands are posing serious health hazards to the common people," the official added.
Borough XII that has seen a lot of dengue cases this year, has nearly 140 such vacant land. The vacant houses in locked condition are emerging as a breeding ground for mosquito-borne diseases and are giving the health officials of the KMC sleepless nights.
"We are involving councillors of all the 144 Wards in the civic body in our fight against dengue to make people aware that when they dump garbage on such vacant lands they are ushering in health hazards for themselves," an official said.
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