Pile of waste containing cups and other small containers, and clogged canals and drains are present across Calcutta, Salt Lake and New Town. The Telegraph on Sunday spotted several such sites that are potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes
NEAR AVISHIKTA HOUSING COMPLEX
The flow of water along the edges of the canal near the Avishikta housing complex, off the crossing of EM Bypass and the Anwar Shah Road connector, has stopped. Such stagnant water can be breeding sites for mosquitoes. Sushanta Ghosh, chairperson of Borough XII of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (which includes the stretch), said the irrigation department had been informed about the state of the canal and expressed the hope that a clean-up would be launched soon.
NEAR KANKURGACHI
A roadside space that was probably kept for gardening is now filled with waste. It is located just beside the gate of Handloom Haveli of the Uttarapan shopping complex near Kankurgachi.
Amal Chakraborty, councillor of Ward 14 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (which includes the stretch in the picture), said the civic body cleaned the streets every day.
“The garbage must have been dumped there by someone after the area was cleaned,” he said.
NEAR SRI SRI ACADEMY, ALIPORE ROAD
Plastic bags and other waste lie at the base of a tree on Alipore Road, a few steps to the south of Sri Sri Academy. The bags and small containers made of sal leaves can become mosquito-breeding sites if water accumulates in them.
An official of the KMC said that despite daily cleaning of streets and daily collection of waste from every household, residents keep throwing waste on roads.
NEAR CENTRAL MALL, NEW TOWN
A pile of garbage lies near an empty plot behind Central Mall in New Town. The pile had a number of plastic cups and used sanitary ware, which can turn into mosquito-breeding sites once water accumulates in them.“We regularly check all empty plots in the township. This pile of waste was not there even on Saturday evening,” an official of the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) said.
NEAR CU CAMPUS, SALT LAKE
A pile of garbage opposite Calcutta University’s Salt Lake campus on Sunday. Garbage-lined streets are a common sight in Salt Lake, at a time when the township is gripped by dengue fever. Ranjan Poddar, councillor of Ward 34 of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (which includes the stretch in the picture), said the garbage will be removed on Monday.
IN FRONT OF CENTRAL PARK
Fountains in front of Central Park in Salt Lake’s Karunamoyee have turned into stagnant pools with mosquitoes buzzing about.
Krishna Chakraborty, mayor of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, said they would drain out the water from the fountains and spray larvicide on Monday
