KMC directs all agencies to clear garbage from offices

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has urged all the agencies to clear garbage from their office premises regularly as part of the drive against dengue.

A high-level meeting was held on Saturday which was presided over by Atin Ghosh, Member, Mayor-in-Council (Health). Chairmen and councilors of Boroughs XIII, XIV, XV and XVI were present.

Tapas Chowdhury, special municipal commissioner and other senior officials of the KMC's Health department attended the meeting along with senior officers of Kolkata Police, state Public Works Department and the Eastern Railway.

Atin Ghosh urged the senior officers of different agencies to ensure that the garbage from their office premises is cleaned regularly.

In case the garbage is not cleared, the workers of Solid Waste Management (SWM) wing will remove it but the agencies will have to pay the charges.

He urged the civic officials to intensify the house-to-house visits to ensure that there is no accumulation of water, the overhead tanks and underground reservoirs are covered properly and there is regular cleaning of garbage. In case the garbage has not been removed, the civic workers will clean and the charges will be included in the property tax.

Ghosh said that to make dengue prevention drives successful, there should be close cooperation between the residents and the KMC.

"It is not possible for us to enter every flat to see whether the container used to store water is cleaned once a week," he said.

The KMC authorities launched the campaign to create awareness to prevent dengue in January.

The civic authorities are carrying out cleaning operations throughout the year as dengue carrying mosquitoes have changed the breeding season.

Even the Durga Puja committees have been roped in to carry out awareness campaigns.