Better late than never! Kolkata Municipal Corporation starts removing garbage from vacant plots to stop mosquito-breeding

Kolkata, November 14: There’s a proverb in English “better late than never” which is applicable for Calcutta Municipal Corporation’s recent initiative to remove garbage from vacant plots. Dengue outbreak in the state, especially in Kolkata and surrounding areas has created a mass panic. Every day new patients are coming up with fever. Against such backdrop, the imitative is very much needed though it had to be taken earlier.

"Following orders from the chief minister, we have decided to clear vacant plots as an emergency measure," the civic body's mayoral council member in charge of health, Atin Ghosh said. Earlier doctors were continuously suggesting to treat the vacant plots carefully as these were a reason for worry in the situation.

CMC was worried how they will allow their workers to enter private land. As it takes 2000 INR to dispose of truck-load garbage, owners of such Vacant lands have to pay money. Owners who live outside the city they have to the fees added to the tax.

“The owners of the plots where garbage is dumped have to shell out the money. We will decide what to do with the plots whose owners' names are not registered with the civic body," Ghosh said, as a local media reported.

"We are involving councilors of all the 144 Wards in the civic body in our fight against dengue to make people aware that when they dump garbage on such vacant lands they are ushering in health hazards for themselves," an official said.