Kolkata: Mayor Firhad Hakim on Saturday released a comprehensive ward-wise survey report of all the existing waterbodies under Borough XV of Kolkata Municipal Corporation. It was on December 23 when Hakim had directed the Assessment department to carry out such a survey in the backdrop of reports of ponds being filled up in Borough-XV.
“There are 432 ponds in the Borough with wards 141 and 140 dominating with 156 and 130 waterbodies respectively. We have allotted premises numbers to all these water bodies tagging them with the address of the adjacent household. A similar exercise will be taken up in all the boroughs under Kolkata Municipal Corporation,” Hakim said.
The Mayor said that KMC’s efforts to stop the filling up of waterbodies in the city will only be possible through citizens’ realisation of the importance of the conservation of ponds. “It is impossible for the administration, police or the press to stop the practice of filling up ponds. The citizens should realise that the lack of fresh oxygen resulting from the filling up of ponds is actually putting our next generation in danger. People should lodge FIR with the local police station, complain to the local councillor, pollution control board or to the KMC to thwart attempts of illegal waterbodies’ filling,” he added.
The Mayor had ordered an immediate survey of water bodies under Borough-XV following a false media report against a councillor under this borough who was trying to stop the illegal filling up of a water body.
The Mayor said that every single councillor is accessible and regularly sits in office in his/ her ward. If anybody comes across reluctance
from the police in initiating an FIR regarding the illegal filling up of water bodies, the KMC or the councillor must be informed immediately.