KMC to ask state govt to acquire 'unclaimed' plots, water bodies to check dengue outbreak

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will soon forward a proposal to the state government urging it to acquire vacant lands and water bodies in the city whose owners have remained untraced. These places have emerged as breeding grounds for mosquitoes causing vector-borne diseases.

"We have found that the number of dengue cases has gone up after the Puja. Some vacant lands and ponds in the city have been identified where garbage has been dumped at will making it a breeding ground for dengue mosquitoes. We will soon forward a proposal to the government to acquire such lands or water bodies so that cleanliness drives can be carried out there on a regular basis," said Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh, who is in-charge of the KMC's Health department.

The total figure of people in the city with dengue was 1,600 before the Durga Puja and it has shot up to nearly 2,500 in less than a month. Twelve wards in the city located under Borough XIV, X and VII have been identified as areas that have had the maximum number of dengue cases during this period.

Interestingly, some places located in close proximity to Puja pandals have also witnessed the outbreak of dengue cases.

"The pieces of bamboo and certain other articles used for Puja pandals have acted as pockets for stagnant water which have facilitated to the breeding of dengue mosquitoes. We had asked the Puja committees to dismantle bamboos at the earliest but some have been reluctant in this regard," a senior KMC official said.

A meeting was held by Ghosh under the instructions of Mayor Firhad Hakim in presence of KMC commissioner Khalil Ahmed and senior officials from all the departments to review the dengue situation in the wake of this sudden increase in the number of cases.

Ghosh instructed concerned officials to carry out awareness through hand microphones particularly in those areas that have had more number of dengue cases.

"The concerned department has been asked to take immediate measures to clean up dirty ponds while officials of the Solid Waste Management department have been asked to strengthen cleanliness drives," the official added.