Medical help

At a time when friends, relatives, neighbours are going down to Covid like ninepins, the first thing on voters’ minds is medical help.

“All one hears these days is about the scarcity of oxygen and hospital beds. I want the MLA to help us with admission to hospitals and safe houses,” says Bijoy Narayan Chaudhuri, an 80-year-old resident of Jal Vayu Vihar.

Indira Mukherjee asks for help at the doorstep when one is in isolation. “Provide people food, medicines, groceries, oxygen, ambulance and at least have the person removed if he passes away,” says the CD Block resident.

Debashis Sen Roy hopes the new MLA stops pouring money into big budget pujas and builds an oxygen factory instead. “This is the need of the hour,” says the resident of Sector V’s Midland Park Housing Complex, hours after hearing the news of a relative’s demise. “It will save lives and provide employment.”

Sharmistha Mukherjee of DB Block wants better availability of oxygen, hospital beds, blood donation camps and well-organised Covid vaccination drives. Nonagenarian Samir Kumar Dasgupta wonders if we have the infrastructure to provide vaccination to the 18-plus population. “Maybe they can use our community halls for it,” says the CF Block resident.

Not just facilities, residents seek information about the same too. “The MLA should build an app or web portal to give us live updates of the bed availability at hospitals. Where all do we run with sick patients,” asks Anik Chowdhury, of New Town’s AB Block. “We badly need an ambulance in every action area of New Town too. The other night a neighbour suffered a stroke and the only ambulance that agreed to come arrived in the morning. By then the patient was no more.”

Arijit Mukherjee seeks 24-hour medicine shops. “In case of an emergency at night we only have hospitals to turn to and even they refuse to give medicines without prescription,” says the CK Block resident.

Covid isn’t the only concern. Chirosree Mitra seeks mental health facilities. “Every second house has a mental health patient these days and the problem has worsened during the pandemic. Awareness has risen too but we lack facilities. Land needs to be allotted to build affordable mental health hospitals,” says the consultant counsellor from AD Block.

Elderly care

Many felt an urgent need for a system to look after the elderly. This was especially so since many of their children live out of town and since the threat of Covid lurks so close by.

“The police backs a group like this called Saanjhbaati but not everyone knows of it. Plus, more than picnics and cultural programmes, this group needs to monitor their medical health and security,” says Arijit.

Approachability

Residents were disgusted by the nexus of corruption, favouritism and syndicates surrounding politicians. “It’s a nuisance. And these Gaal Kaata Pintus and Hath Kaata Bholas encircling politicians give them an even worse reputation,” says Abhradeep Banerjee of GD Block.

Dhruv Bagchi says an MLA should be the guy next door who can be approached for problems. “Any emergency and they should be the first port of call but more often than not, we won’t get them,” he cites from experience. “An MLA is a people’s representative but instead, they feel like it’s a ticket to an entitled lifestyle. Their sidekicks are their pets and common people feel left out,” says the BF Block resident.

Samares Bandyopadhyay cites instances when henchmen around politicians pushed and shoved senior citizens aside, claiming the leaders were too busy to meet them. “Well, whose work are they doing if not ours?” asks the DL Block resident.

Many residents asked for the MLA to meet them at public forums at least once in three months.

Freedom from encroachment

Jhumpa Ghosh observes how the slum near GD Market has swollen in size. “The other night I was returning home through that stretch and my app cab driver was having a tough time dodging all the mask-less drunkards on the way. If the window was down there could have been a risk of snatching,” she says, also questioning how another slum could have been set up in a posh locality like the backyard of City Centre.

“We have come to Salt Lake to live in a beautiful neighbourhood, that had been cleaned up before the under-17 Fifa World Cup of 2017. Then why is the cleanliness not being preserved?” she demands.

Justice (retd) Soumitra Sen has noticed the Eastern Drainage Canal-side attracts hawkers and asks for it to be made encroachment-free for at least 100 meters on either side. “The eateries on the fringes of the canal are one of the biggest pollutants there too,” says the CL Block resident.

Anik notes that while hawkers are squatting on the streets of New Town, their block markets are yet to open completely. “If shop lessees fail to roll up shutters within a stipulated time the authorities should take the shops back and let them out to hawkers. It would be a win-win,” he reasons.

Greenery projects

Arijit feels the greenery in Salt Lake has been reducing of late. “Not only were many trees felled to build the Metro, but trees also fall during storms. Where, which variety and how many new trees are being planted in lieu of these?” he asks. “We need 3,000 new fruit trees that will house birds, squirrels and provide oxygen.”

Mousumi Mukherjee is saddened by the sorry state that Central Park is in, post-Amphan. “The lake is covered by water hyacinths such that one can barely see the water, the rose garden neither has any roses nor looks like a garden. We have fond memories of Central Park and want it restored to its former glory,” she says.

Dasgupta asks for some legislature to prevent residents from planting certain tall trees in their background as their roots damage sewerage channels underground.

Animal welfare

Those who dislike street dogs want a stop to their ever-increasing population and those who love them also feel the streets are no place for the the animals to be living in.

Rajib Roy wants an animal welfare centre and an apolitical body that would look after animals and the environment and be given due cognisance by authorities. “As of now if someone spots a monkey dance and complains, they are not even taken seriously by the police,” he says.

Arijit wants a netting or fencing made on main roads to prevent animals from straying into the roads and getting run over. “The MLA should release funds to neuter 20 to 30 street dogs a month too.”

Parks and halls

New Town residents are all rooting for their own parks and community halls. “Who will agree to host a meeting at his house in the middle of a pandemic?” asks Anik. “It’s not safe. We need community halls for these.”

Same with parks. “At present there are several blocks sharing one park and so they get crowded. Neither is it comfortable nor advisable during Covid.”

Harmony

“The MLA is the guardian of his constituency. He must ensure no one is victimised because of background, religion or political affiliation,” said Sen Roy.

Eighty-five-year-old Mariam Wali agrees. “The MLA should see that amity prevails among religious groups. I’ve grown up in a Bengal when my mother would send sweets on Eid to our neighbours and our own house would be flooded with sweets sent by neighbours during the Pujas. Our children should not have to grow up in fear now.”

Safety and security

Some were concerned about women’s safety. “In Salt Lake most people are either inside AC rooms or travelling in cars. And the few who want to walk in the evening feel unsafe as it’s so deserted. They fear snatchings or eve teasings. So better police patrolling is necessary,” says Chirosree.

Ease of doing business

Businessmen wanted a corrupt ion-free and business-friendly environment where formalities like trade licence can be acquired quickly.

“Bengal is blessed to have electricity, water, skilled and unskilled workers so if ample jobs can be provided, our youth won’t have to migrate elsewhere for work,” said Rajat Boobna of CG Block.

Freedom from mosquitoes

“Covid experts are asking us to keep our windows open for ventilation but mosquitoes swarm in if we do that,” complains Chaudhuri.

Many others, particular those living near canals, are suffering the same fate and wanted respite.

Public toilets

“When entering Salt Lake from the Beleghata connector, there isn’t a single public toilet before Karununamoyee,” said Jhumpa. “Our block has a toilet attached to GC community hall that we allow outsiders to use. Policewomen and the like depend on it but the government needs to build more.”

Citizen task force

“Let the MLA form a team to keep tabs on departments like ration, police and medicine shops. Let the team report directly to the CM,” says Debalay Gonchowdhury.

Rajib seconds him. “This citizen’s task force should comprise apolitical residents with integrity, goodwill and a minimum number of years spent in the constituency. The team should also be empowered to act against civic offenses like spitting, the use of plastic, traffic violation etc.”

Light, roads, cleanliness

Mousumi says the street lights in her FE Block lane are dim and that stretches in KB-KC blocks are almost pitch dark. “The vats there overflowing,” says the school teacher. She, like several others, complains of speeding by bikes and cars late every night.

Roads need repair too. “They did some patchwork on main roads before the elections but lanes inside CK Block, CD Block, that from Matri Sadan to Calcutta Heart Clinic are all potholed,” says Arijit.