'Notify if any waterbody is missing from list of ponds'

Kolkata: Mayor Firhad Hakim urged all councilors and citizens to verify whether any waterbody is missing from the list of ponds that have been uploaded in the website as well as in the WhatsApp of Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

"Protection and preservation of waterbodies for maintaining environmental balance is our priority. No ponds should be filled up. We have already prepared the list of ponds in the city and have made it available in public domain. I will urge the councilors and the citizens to check that list and bring it before our notice if any existing ponds is missing from that list," Hakim said. The response from Mayor of Kolkata came soon after a resident from Dharmatala Road in ward 67 in Kasba called at the 'Talk To Mayor' programme alleging that somebody is putting up a wall on the bank of a pond which is located on 12 cottah land just in front of his residence. The caller expressed his apprehension that the waterbody will be filled up and usurped by a promoter.

Hakim looked up at the list and the waterbody was found existing in the list of ponds under the Environment & Heritage department of the civic body. "Since we have this particular pond in our list, promoting cannot be done there," he said.

He immediately instructed the Building and the PMU department to do an inspection of the site and take necessary legal action, if it is found that the waterbody was being filled up for the purpose of promoting.