KOLKATA: The effort of locals and volunteers engaged by the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) to check the problem of stubble burning seems to have paid off. There have been fewer incidents of stubble burning in the last 2-3 days, say local residents and birders.
Recently, residents of a housing complex in Action Area IID raised alarm after seeing a local dweller setting stubble on fire on a large open plot in front of their complex.
“It was afternoon when we saw a youth setting the grass on the plot opposite our housing complex on fire. I, along with my wife, rushed to catch the miscreant. We chased him but he managed to escape. The police were immediately alerted and we fetched water from our housing to douse the fire,” said Kingshuk Chakraborty, a resident of Greenfield Ambition apartment complex.
Locals said that a few days ago they had spotted another youth roaming aimlessly at the spots where stubble burning was happening close to their housing complex. “When some of the local residents along with the security staff approached him, he said that he had come to chew tobacco. When quizzed further, he ran away,” said a local resident.
NKDA officials said that they were taking several steps to prevent the matter. “It is a problem that has been occurring on a large scale and it will take some time to completely get rid of it. But the nuisance has already been prevented in some areas. Awareness campaigns are on with the help of announcements and signage boards. We are also conducting drone surveillance,” said a NKDA official.
A group of six volunteers is doing rounds on bikes across the township divided in zones to keep an eye on stubble burning, the official added. Besides, a WhatsApp group has been formed where residents can inform and post pictures if they come across cases of stubble burning anywhere in New Town.
“We feel the problem has been checked a bit. We are constantly keeping an eye and informing the police whenever we are noticing any incident,” said Subho Dasgupta, a resident of Moonbeam apartment complex.
“There have been fewer cases but it needs to be completely checked. We are constantly keeping an eye on the issue,” said Samaresh Das, chairperson of New Town Forum and News (NTFN), a local NGO.