Survey ponds, send lists to Kolkata Municipal Corporation: Mayor Firhad Hakim

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has adopted a ‘save the ponds’ project to protect water bodies from land sharks. The mayor’s office has sent out a message to borough executive engineers, asking them to conduct a survey of ponds in their areas and send lists of details to the headquarters.

Mayor Firhad

Hakim

directed civic officials, entrusted to keep a vigil on ponds, to register FIRs against those who would be found guilty of filling the water bodies. The order was passed after the mayor received several complaints about pond filling in large parts of the city, especially in KMC-added areas, such as Garden Reach, Behala, Tollygunge,

Jadavpur

and neighbourhoods located off Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. Apart from the added areas, complaints have also been coming to the civic headquarters from places, like Dum Dum, Cossipore, Naktala, Netajinagar, Baisnabghata, Ramgarh and Gangulibagan.

Recently, Hakim came down heavily on a section of police officers for failing to prevent filling up of water bodies even though complaints had been registered by

KMC

borough executive engineers. Hakim was particularly unhappy with the role of some police officers and civic officials who reportedly did not take any measure despite residents complaining about water bodies being filled up illegally.

“Mayor

saab

recently got furious when a Tollygunge resident complained of inaction by civic administration and police in protecting a large pond, a part of which had been filled up and makeshift structures built on it. We are now in touch with local cops to demolish the structures,” said a KMC official.

There had been occasions when KMC officials were sent to conduct on-the-spot inspections to find the truth behind filling up of water bodies. “We were amazed when we went to conduct inquiries at places, including Dum Dum, Tiljala, Behala, Tollygunge, Jadavpur and places off EM Bypass. We found out that what was recorded as a tank in the KMC record, had long been filled up and there was no trace of water,” said a civic official. Such surveys proved to be an eye-opener for civic officials. “We have now been asked to keep a tab on the existing ponds at some of the prime locations. We will be compelled to lodge FIRs against land sharks attempting to fill up water bodies. We are in touch with local police stations,” said a KMC official.