Calcutta High Court has requested the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to increase the frequency of cleaning plastic litter from the Maidan.
The division bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Shampa Sarkar said that the court was anxious about the plastic waste strewn in and around the Maidan.
The bench’s observation came while hearing a petition by environment activist Subhas Datta alleging that even after the Supreme Court ordered the shifting of the bus terminus from Esplanade in December 2007, the state government had not executed it.
The high court had in September 2007 passed an order to shift the Esplanade bus terminus. The apex court had upheld the order.
“Court requests Kolkata Municipal Corporation to increase the frequency of the drive to keep the Maidan area free from plastic litters,” the bench’s order dated April 26 reads.
Plastic and other forms of solid waste are found strewn on the Maidan. These are mostly left behind by visitors to the area.
The problem increases manifold following a rally at the Brigade parade ground.
Civic officials said the civic body did not usually clean the Maidan.
“The Maidan is in the custody of the army. Its cleaning is done by the army and the state public works department. We clean the Maidan when we are asked to do so, especially after any rally,” said the official.
The bench also raised the issue of cooking with fossil fuels in the Victoria Memorial area.
“So far as users of fossil fuel within the radius of 3 k.m. of the Victoria Memorial is concerned, learned advocate for the corporation submits that the drive is in progress,” the order reads.
A KMC official said there were stalls in this area that used kerosene and coal to cook.
“We are working on how to stop the use of fossil fuel and help the stall owners shift to alternative fuels,” said the civic official.