Inform police on roadside burning of waste, KMC urges citizens

Kolkata: In a bid to curb pollution in the city across all 144 wards, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has asked citizens to report to police if they come across instances of burning waste on the roadside.

The civic body is apparently concerned with the rising pollution levels in the city. Mayor Firhad Hakim had recently held a meeting on curbing pollution. KMC had earlier roped in Bose Institute for a study. The report submitted prescribed certain guidelines to combat pollution.

The Mayor said that burning of waste on the roadside during winters is one of the prime factors contributing to pollution in the city. He suggested that citizens can dial 100 to report to police in the event they come across such instances. An official said that police have been asked to take action if they come across such instances during night patrol.

Further, the civic body, as it has done before, will again distribute smoke-free chullahs to people from the underprivileged sections of the society. These steps are expected to bring down air pollution to a certain extent, according to KMC.

The civic body has also kicked off a survey in all its 144 wards to gauge the amount of pollution generated. Further, experts have been roped in to draft guidelines on curbing single-use plastic. The Mayor said that the wind blowing in from Howrah is causing more dust pollution in Kolkata.

To curb this, water sprinklers and mist canons are being used. The use of old vehicles is also one of the contributing factors, the mayor said, assuring that KMC will implement the guidelines suggested by the Bose Institute.