Mobile app to keep eye on filling up of waterbodies

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will soon launch a mobile app to keep an eye on illegal filling of waterbodies. The move comes in the wake of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directing her government officials to be vigilant against such acts and take the issue of water conservation very seriously.

"We are in the process of developing a mobile app which will have a database of all waterbodies in the city. This will enable us to monitor whether any pond is being filled up illegally," said Swapan Samaddar, Member, Mayor-in-Council (Environment), KMC.

Stressing the need for conservation of waterbodies for maintaining the environmental balance, KMC has stopped giving sanctions to any building coming up on land after filling up of waterbodies.

The civic body has renovated 1,500-odd ponds in the city till date and by applying the 496 A KMC Act, has taken management control of some waterbodies owned privately. "We are also encouraging young people to take up fish cultivation in the ponds, so that the water remains clear," Sammaddar added.

The civic body has also taken up awareness campaigns among people, urging them not to throw garbage into the ponds, as they are an important source of oxygen.

Mayor Firhad Hakim has recently given approval to KMC's Environment department, to rope in an expert for conservation of environment and heritage. "We will start work with a temporary environmentalist and will go for a permanent post as soon as it gets sanctioned," Samaddar pointed out.

There have been some instances in recent times when Hakim had to personally intervene to curb filling up of waterbodies. After a call was made at the Talk to Mayor programme in August, the Mayor had rushed to ward 124 in Thakurpukur, Behala and taken necessary action to prevent filling up of waterbodies.

KMC has already designated one separate nodal officer for each of the 16 boroughs to monitor the waterbodies and take steps to thwart attempts of filling. The nodal officer is assisted by the executive engineer and officials of the assessment department of the civic body.