Waterlogged and dimly lit roads, disappearing playgrounds, indiscriminate use of plastic or the difficulty for a deaf-mute child to communicate in a government office — a group of school students told mayor Firhad Hakim their concerns about the city on Saturday.
The students suggested that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) display the services it offers at strategic locations in the city so more people know about them.
About 100 schoolchildren — some of them first-generation learners — met Hakim at the KMC headquarters on Saturday.
Hakim told them he would love such interactions at frequent intervals. “I need to know what children think about our city and what changes they would want,” the mayor said.
A Class IX student from Dhapa Mathpukur brought up frequent waterlogging in her neighbourhood and how she struggles to return home from tuition, especially in the evenings.
“There have been incidents of electrocution because of electric wires hanging on a waterlogged street. The roads in the area are also not well-lit. It is really difficult to come back home through waterlogged and poorly lit streets after classes in the evening,” she said.
Seated next to her was a resident of Shamsul Huda Road in Park Circus, a Class XI student. “There are roads in our area that get waterlogged easily,” he said.
Multiple instances of electrocution deaths have been reported in the city in the past few years. A 25-year-old man who was wading through waterlogged Justice Dwarkanath Road in Bhowanipore in October died because of electrocution. The youth had taken the support of an iron fencing around a building that had open wires jutting out.
An 11-year-old boy was electrocuted after touching a pole on a flooded road in Haridevpur on the city’s southern fringe in July 2022.
On Saturday, the students suggested that the KMC pay special attention to drainage facilities in front of schools, Anganwadi centres and primary health centres in every ward.
A deaf-mute girl told Hakim in sign language that all KMC offices should have a sign language interpreter. She said people like her were at a loss in these offices because very few people understood what they were trying to say. If there was an interpreter, their visits to these offices would not be a hassle like they are now.
Hakim nodded in approval. “I will try and keep an interpreter in all KMC offices. This is a good suggestion,” he said.
Sheikh Ayan, 8, a Class III student from Kasba’s Bosepukur, rued the fact that playgrounds were disappearing in the city.
“I have heard from my parents that there were a lot of playgrounds in the city when they were in school. They could play so much but we do not have a chance to do the same,” he said.
Hakim admitted that the demand for more housing and allied infrastructure had swallowed up much of the city’s open spaces. He said that the KMC was “trying” to keep the remaining parks in good shape.
A 13-year-old girl, who identified herself as transgender, urged the mayor to see that government policies
were more inclusive and factored in the challenges faced by people from the LGBTQ community.
“We experience taunts and people mock us, but we want to live a life of dignity and respect. Please see that we can live as equals in society,” the girl from Tangra said.
The interaction was coordinated by the NGO Child in Need India (CINI).
“We want children to voice their own opinions and speak about their problems,” said Sujoy Roy of CINI.