Bidhannagar: Dog, cycle ban at Salt Lake green verges sparks row

KOLKATA: After dogs were barred from parks and green verges in New Town, the urban development department has issued a similar ban at green verges in Salt Lake, fuelling the raging debate over the legitimacy of such a ban in public places. In Salt Lake, cycles have also been banned from the green verges.
The ban notices have been put up on the gates leading to green verges in AE, BE and CE blocks. When enraged pet owners and dog lovers called up Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation officials, the latter brushed off responsibility, pointing out that the green verges were under the UD department's jurisdiction.
Urmimala Chaudhuri, a pet owner and resident of AE block, wondered what prompted the authorities to ban pet dogs when stray dogs could not kept off these places.
Even those who do not own pets said they were not in favour of a ban but responsible behaviour by pet owners.
"Pets need to be walked. When they exercise, there will be poop. Pet owners need to clear the poop. And they also should keep dogs on a leash while they are walking in a park or a green verge," said AE block Samaj Kalyan Sangha secretary Tapas Sengupta.
The BE block committee said that some residents were complaining about walking tracks being dirtied by dogs. While some pet owners carry scoops to clean it up, most don't, they alleged.
"We are not involved in putting up the notice boards. We only want the green verges to remain clean for the morning walkers," said BE block committee secretary Harsh Jaiswal.
Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) chairman Sabyasachi Dutta, who is the local councillor, supported the move.
"I do not know who has put up the notice boards but I feel it is a good initiative to keep the green verges clean. It is not the civic body's responsibility to clean dog poop," Dutta said.
In New Town, following a similar issue of pets not being allowed in the parks and green verges, the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) has prepared and placed a draft proposal to the state urban development department for incorporating pet rules for residents.