Waste accumulation at KMC headquarter premises stokes dengue fear

Kolkata: At a time when the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is asking citizens to keep their premises clean to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes to avert a dengue outbreak, a portion of the premises of the civic body’s headquarters was found littered with waste materials with rainwater accumulating inside them.

It was only on Wednesday that a meeting was conducted by Mayor Firhad Hakim and deputy mayor Atin Ghosh which witnessed a discussion on adding more teeth to KMC’s dengue control measures, a large part of which is to convince people to keep their premises clean. The Mayor said in wards where dengue cases were apparent, many houses had unclean premises and rooftops. Rainwater was accumulating inside plastic cups, containers, and other waste materials, creating a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. So much so that the civic body is now serving notices to dengue guideline violators. In some cases, matters are being referred to the municipal court to impose heavy fines amounting to lakhs.

However, a survey of the KMC headquarters at SN Banerjee Road on Thursday revealed a worrying scenario. Several corners and a back alley inside the premises on the ground floor were found heavily littered with waste materials where rainwater continues to accumulate. Even some cornices were found littered with waste such as plastic plates, bottles, cups, and empty thermocol boxes, apart from wrappers. Apart from these, bamboos were found stockpiled along with construction wastes such as cement bags on the ground floor. These piles of waste were found where some bikes were parked, indicating that it was no blind spot but a place where there is adequate movement of people. Additionally, what also became apparent at the spot were wastes lying uncovered inside a parked waste-collecting two-wheeler carrier of the KMC.

A KMC worker refusing to be named said it has been over months that such waste is accumulating there. “We have complained several times but no action was taken. If one stands on the premises or in one of the balconies inside the KMC HQ, one is bound to fall victim to mosquito bites.”