KMC steps up dengue drive with focus on pandal sites

Kolkata: As Durga Puja is nearing, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has intensified its dengue awareness campaign with a special focus on pandal sites.

Deputy Mayor, who also heads the Health department of KMC, Atin Ghosh visited under-construction pandals of Park-Circus Sarbojanin Durgotsab (Uddipanj) and Park Circus Benjapukur United Puja Committee on Tuesday.

During his pandal inspections, Ghosh referring to the civic body’s directives to the Puja organisers to ensure mosquito free surroundings, stressed that the cut ends of vertically-placed bamboo structures must be wrapped with cloth to prevent water from collecting inside.

Ghosh stated: “I’ve directed the vector control team of every ward to visit the pandals and instruct the organisers to keep a sharp eye on this matter.

I have also asked them to send pictures of the premises for my review.”

Earlier in the afternoon, he visited the Government College of Art and Craft to take stock of the cleanliness there. His visit followed in response to complaints raised in borough meetings about garbage accumulation and stagnant water on the premises—conditions conducive to mosquito breeding. He later said that since the college authorities lacked the infrastructure to manage waste disposal, the KMC itself would undertake the cleaning of the campus.

The civic body has already issued advisories to all Puja committees to drain stagnant water from low-lying areas, potholes and pits near pandals and to check bamboo structures for signs of waterlogging.