Mosquito-breeding sites are here, there and everywhere in the city. From Lake Town in the north to Jadavpur in the south, The Telegraph crisscrossed the city on Saturday. Here’s a small part of what we saw.
Lake Town
Bishwarup Dutta
Mounds of waste were found in several pockets of Block B in Lake Town. The piles of waste had many containers — small and big cups, plates and glasses, which could turn into mosquito-breeding sites once water accumulated in them. The dengue-causing Aedes ageypti mosquito can breed in a coin-sized blob of water., according to public health experts. A junked Tata Sumo stood near a pile of garbage. Junked cars have also been labelled as potential breeding grounds for the dengue-causing Aedes aegypti mosquito.
“We are checking for freshwater puddles every day. The conservancy team is clearing solid waste regularly. We also collect waste from the doorstep of residents. But even then, a section of people dump waste on the ground. Food and tea stalls also dump cups and plates. We need more awareness,” said Kasturi Choudhury, South Dum Dum Municipality chairman.
Canal East Road
Bishwarup Dutta
The canal in Narkeldanga, also called Beliaghata Canal, has lost its flow and turned into a mosquito-breeding site. There were piles of garbage all along the banks of the canal and mosquitoes were buzzing over. Residents blamed lack of dredging for the sorry state of the canal. When Metro called the local councillor, Chinu Biswas, her husband answered the call. Biswas was in Hyderabad for a medical emergency, he said. “We have cleaned the canal several times in the past. But a section of people keep dumping waste into it. Even motorists passing by Canal East and Canal West Roads drop bags of garbage into the canal,” he said.
Jadavpur
Bishwarup Dutta
A tour of Jadavpur University threw up some mounds of solid waste. One such pocket was near Suruchi Canteen, behind the metallurgical and material engineering department. The ground was littered with pieces of cloth, plastic cups, glasses and Styrofoam trays, among other items. Snehamanju Basu, the registrar of JU, said: “Our sweepers have been directed to clear solid waste on a regular basis. A bulk of the waste goes to a compactor station inside the campus”.
Prince Golam Mohammad Shah Road
Bishwarup Dutta
An under-construction building, right opposite Madartola lake, had several empty jars lying on the ground. There was at least one big drum. All of these can store water in case of a spell of rain and be fertile grounds for the breeding of the dengue-causing Aedes aegypti mosquito. A guard at the site said a team of the civic body had visited the site a couple of days ago and sprayed larvicide. Sandip Nandi Majumdar, the local councillor, said: “We have been doing periodic inspections. I will send a team to the spot as soon as possible”.
Tollygunge Emergency Force Lines
Bishwarup Dutta
The police quarters opposite Tollygunge Metro station had mounds of solid waste lying at multiple places. Paper, styrofoam, plastic and earthen cups and plates and shells of tender coconut were found in each mound. A discarded Maruti Omni, covered in a blanket of dust, stood near a pile of waste. Majumdar, the councillor, said maintenance of the police quarters was the responsibility of the PWD. “I have told the police authorities multiple times to ensure periodic removal of the solid waste,” he said.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road
Bishwarup Dutta
A vacant plot on one side of Raj Ram Mohan Roy Road, between Behala Chowrasta and Tollygunge, had turned into a mini garbage vat. Styrofoam containers used for packaging goods lay strewn in multiple places, as did small cups and plates. An under-construction building near the plot had a discarded commode on the ground floor. The councillor, Soma Chakraborty, did not take calls.