Kolkata: For the first time ever since Independence, steps have been taken to clean the 1.25 km long Nazirganj Jheel.
Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) has taken up the project to restore the waterbody in its actual form to ensure that the ecological balance of the area is maintained and cases of vector borne diseases get reduced.
So far, the corporation has cleaned 280 water bodies and there were many of those, spread over an area of around 10 bighas under the Jal Dharo Jal Bharo project of the Mamata Banerjee government.
Besides carrying on with the regular work, the civic body has taken up the project to clean the water body that covers a huge area from Bakultala Bus Stand area on Andul Road to the road that connects Nazirganj Ghat. The lake, which is locally known as Nazirganj Khal, is around 1.25 km long and on an average around 200 feet in width.
Bijin Krishna, Commissioner of Howrah Municipal Corporation, had also visited the spot earlier. The work to clean the water body started three months ago and 90 percent of the work is complete.
The remaining work will be done in the next few weeks.
After completing cleaning the water body, there is a plan for beautification of the bank of the lake and at the same time, steps would also be taken for pisciculture in the water body.
Residents of the area have welcomed the move of the civic body.
It may be mentioned that the civic body has already taken steps in order to ensure that the logged water recedes fast from the city during monsoon.
So, cleaning of the water body will also help in this connection and check spreading of dengue and malaria.
There is a team of 40 contractual labourers of the Howrah Municipal Corporation who carry out the cleaning of water bodies. Forty of them were divided into four teams with a supervisor heading each of the teams and the same labourers have been engaged to carry out the cleaning of Nazirganj jheel.
Arun Roy Chowdhury, MMIC (revenue, License and Water Reservation) said: "The project has been taken up after getting inspired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim has helped a lot to carry out the project."