Kolkata: With the onset of monsoon showers and increasing cases of dengue in certain pockets of the city, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is gearing up to take tougher measures which include dragging violators of dengue guidelines to municipal court to impose heavy fines.
Even as the civic body began its anti-dengue campaigns at the beginning of the year, cases of dengue have been reported from certain pockets in the city. Initially, it was reported that the majority of cases were from South Kolkata but soon cases from the northern part of Kolkata too began to see a spurt, especially with the onset of monsoon.
The civic body has now decided to take stringent action if dengue guidelines are found violated despite an initial warning.
If any citizen is found violating the rules then KMC is initially issued a notice under Section 496 of the KMC Act. Thereafter, fines would be imposed by sending the matter to the municipal court.
Recently, the civic body fined two properties of Rs one lakh each for letting garbage and water accumulate on their premises. One among them was a vacant plot without any maintenance. It is learnt that several of the plot owners are still not following guidelines such as keeping the overhead tanks covered to prevent breeding of mosquitoes.
Several of the cases have surfaced from north Kolkata in ward six where about 33 people are down with dengue. Many of these are government quarters. KMC is learnt to have sent at least 15 cases of violation to the municipal court.
A KMC official said that public announcement is being done in all wards and people are being advised against storing water in open containers or buckets. They are also being advised to ensure that the covers of the overhead tanks are closed. Advisory leaflets are being distributed to the people, said the official, who added that the civic body has also informed the housing department about proper maintenance of government quarters to prevent a dengue outbreak there.
Meanwhile, Pallabi Dey, a nine-year-old girl is suspected to have died of dengue at Institute of Child Health. It is learnt she was a student of the sixth standard. She was admitted to the hospital with fever and dengue tests on her showed positive results. It is learnt she breathed her last on Saturday. Her death certificate reportedly mentioned dengue and multiple organ failure as cause of death. She was a resident of the Picnic Garden area.