Kolkata: Clean-up drive in Salt Lake to prevent dengue

KOLKATA: Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities have started cleaning up vacant plots in Salt Lake where garbage was piling up. This is being done after instructions from the North 24-Parganas district administration to conduct dengue prevention measures during the monsoon.
BMC ward 31 coordinator Supriyo Chakraborty has taken up the drive in his ward consisting of AE, BE, CE, BF and CF blocks to clean up all the vacant plots lying neglected with garbage and weeds growing, the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. A few vacant plots in AE and BF blocks were cleaned up in the last few days. “We are requesting the residents living nearby to maintan the plots,” Chakraborty said.
Residents have welcomed this move by the civic authorities during the monsoons when water collects in these plots. A similar drive in other parts of the township too will be held, BMC officials said.
BMC authorities had a joint inspection and Covid and dengue stock-taking meeting with the North 24-Parganas DM last week. Officials said all necessary dengue preventive measures are being taken.
“Six months ago, around five lakh guppy fish were released in the canals and more will be released. The canals will also be dredged to prevent any stagnant water accumulation. Larvicide will be sprayed and roof tops of households will be checked for stagnant water,” said BMC board of administrators chairperson Krishna Chakraborty.
South Dum Dum civic authorities had launched a scheme last week to use speed boats in all its four canals - Bagjola, Sonai, Udaypur and Cantonment - to spray larvicide and clean the canal water.
“The speedboats were introduced on the instruction of local MLA and minister Bratya Basu. This scheme will continue for the next six months as dengue prevention measures,” said South Dum Dum municipality’s BoA member Debashis Banerjee.