Ward 24

Area: Kestopur

Last councillor: Anupam Mondal

Average rating given to last councillor: 2/10

Issues to be addressed: “The city has seen several cyclones of late, after which Kestopur Canal overflows and knee-deep rain-water floods our lanes,” said Niharika Ghosh, a 55-year-old housewife of the area.

“The Kestopur canal is very polluted — full of plastic — and the ends are choked,” says Raju Sardar, who runs a tea stall a few meters away from the canal.

Residents also complain of mosquitoes and water shortage. “In monsoon we are inundated and at other times we are left parched. Several pipes have been laid for water supply in the area but we have yet to receive any,” said Paresh Saha, 75-year-old businessman.

Nita Pokhrel, a Sector V employee who lives here, wants safer streets. “The law and order situation is sorry, especially for women,” she said.

Did you receive pandemic-specific help from political parties: No. In fact many residents blamed politicians for having disappeared in the toughest days of the pandemic.

Will you go to vote: 100 per cent voters spoken to said yes.

Candidate speak

Manish Mukherjee (Trinamul Congress): “I shall look into the problem of water accumulation and order desiltation of the canals. Our chief minister has sanctioned Rs 300 crore for this project. I am also in talks with several agencies regarding street lamps which were not working and want to smoothen traffic on major roads.”

Aloke Kumar Roy (Left Front): “The roads in Kestopur are the worst in the area. I shall clear the streets of hawkers and address the problem of water accumulation. The canals need to be desilted.”

Swapan Sikdar (BJP): “The population of Kestopur has trebled in the last five years and the law and order situation is terrible. The area needs a separate police station. Several slums here harbour Bangladeshis who have illegally acquired Aadhaar cards. I shall put an end to all this.”

Garbage dumped in Kestopur Canal. Showli Chakraborty

Ward 25

Area: Kestopur

Last councillor: Bikash Naskar

Average rating given to the last councillor: 2

Issues to be addressed: The biggest issue is congestion. “Roads are narrow and cars are ever-increasing. There is no parking space anywhere. Footpaths are claimed by hawkers. Promoters leave no space for pedestrians to walk after they finish with new buildings and the corporation, that sanctions these buildings, look the other way,” said a 40-year-old businessman, on condition of anonymity.

Ishita Maitra, a 50-year-old government employee, adds how the flank from VIP Road to Kestopur is blocked with autos on one side and hawkers on the other. “There is no place for pedestrians to move. There are absolutely no footpaths anywhere in Kestopur,” she said.

Mosquitoes are another problem. “The drains are all open, garbage heaps aren’t cleaned regularly and the administration claims new mosquitoes fly into the ward despite their efforts. No wonder Kestopur is the den of dengue and malaria,” said a 45-year-old government employee, Krishnendu Bhattacharya.

Did you receive pandemic-specific help: No. Piyali Naskar, a 25-year-old engineer, in fact claims to have seen the councillor only in the election season and never before during the pandemic.

Candidate speak

Purnima Naskar (Trinamul Congress)- “Two tanks as well as pipelines have been built to supply purified water and the service will start soon. I want clean water to reach every household in my ward. I also want to clean Kestopur canal to prevent flooding.”

Dipa Naskar (BJP)- “The pandemic has taught us how important it is to have health clinics in every neighbourhood and I shall build a health centre with all modern facilities. I also want to cover the drains as they are a breeding ground for mosquitoes.”

Soma Mitra (Left Front): “Women of the area are not safe, especially after 10pm. So safety and security are on my priority list. The next concern is water and roads in this area.”

Residents of Ward 29 want empty plots cleaned out

Ward 29

Blocks: AL, BL, CK, CL, AJ, BJ, CJ, DJ, DK, AK, SA (part)

Last councillor: Krishna Chakraborty

Average rating given to the last councilor: 7.5/10

Issues to be addressed: Senior citizens want a solution to the property tax tussle and cleanliness is an issue for voters across ages, genders and communities. “Hawkers dirty the ward and in the absence of public toilets, their customers relieve themselves in the open,” said a CK Block lady in her 30s. “Hawkers should only be allowed around markets and public toilets should be built around all water tanks.”

The dumping of garbage in empty plots was another pet peeve. “The corporation should charge a fee from lessees of vacant plots and use that money to periodically clean it up,” suggested a BJ Block octogenarian.

Some felt the authorities had got complacent about Covid sanitisation and needed to increase its frequency. “Children’s parks in our area, although beautiful, remain locked round the clock. My neighbour literally searches for open parks in different blocks to take her kids,” said a 20-something from BL Block. “Tree trimming also needs to be more proactive.”

Did you receive pandemic-specific help from political parties: Most voters said they had not required any such help, but a college-student from BL Block said he had called up the councillor for help in getting vaccines for his octogenarian grandmother. “Back then, there were serpentine queues for shots at hospitals and my grandma couldn’t stand for that long. The councilor quickened the process.”

Will you go to vote: 40 per cent said yes; 60 per cent were unsure.

Why not: As many as 60 per cent voters were scared of getting Covid. This is a major issue for senior citizens and in some joint families, the decision has been kept on hold for the last minute, when the head of the family would study the pandemic situation and take a call for everyone.

“We speak to councillors every few months whenever we have a problem and have built a relationship with them. And once in five years when they come to our doorstep with folded hands seeking our blessings, I don’t want to disappoint them. I’d feel guilty to not go and vote but am scared of Covid,” said an 81-year old retired engineer of BJ Block.

His grandson will be sitting for his Boards this year and he’s scared that if even one of them gets Covid from the booth it would affect his study schedule. “I’ve been writing multiple letters to the authorities for the option to vote from home like I did in the Assembly elections last year but they say they don’t have the resources this time.”

Candidate speak

Krishna Chakraborty (Trinamul Congress)- “During my tenure I worked to ease the problem of water shortage. We built new reservoirs, pumping stations, parks, illuminated the streets with LED lights... Now I want to maintain these amenities and also work on the drainage system to prevent flooding.”

Mitali Mukherjee (BJP): “The roads of the ward get damaged every second day and trees are getting planted in unscientific ways such that they come crashing on houses and cars during storms. I want to develop an app for residents, especially the 60 per cent elderly residents, to help with whatever they need.”

Saswati Mondal (Left Front): “When I was councilor the roads would last six to seven years without damage but now they don't even last a year and a half. Rainwater inundates the lanes and even enters underground reservoirs. Many empty plots need to be cleaned up.”

Residents of Ward 30 want more parking space in their lanes

Ward 30

Blocks: Digantika, AH, BH, BG, CG, DG, SA (1-70), Kestopur slum, AF, Baisakhi, AG

Last councillor: Anita Mondal

Average rating given to the last councilor: 4.8/10. Blocks like BG and BH seem very happy with the councilor, rating her up to 9/10. Residents of the housing complexes, however, rated her as low as 2.

Issues to be addressed: Residents want security. “We are alarmed by the attempted break-ins and car accident in our block last week,” said a 40-year-old voter of AH Block. “We need speed breakers along the canal to prevent rash driving.”

“Khela na, kaaj chai,” added a 24-year-old, referring to their cratered roads and lousy drainage. Residents of BG and BH blocks want better lighting and cleanliness in parks and green verges as well as dedicated service for senior citizens. “We want some sort of system to disqualify outsiders from parking all over our lanes. Often they block our gates and we are unable to take our own cars out,” said a 55-year-old lady of BH Block. “The street dog population must also be brought under control.” Baisakhi residents want a facelift to their ramshackle market.

Did you receive any pandemic-specific help from any political party: A 24-year-old Police Abasan resident said he had received help from Red Volunteers in admitting relatives and friends to hospitals when they caught Covid. Others had received similar assistance from the MLA. A BG Block resident said that during the lockdown ward workers had gone to several homes in their block delivering groceries, medicines, food and helped with sanitisation too.

Ward 30 residents want the street dog population to be brought under control

Will you go to vote: 100 per cent said yes, although a 59-year old resident of Baisakhi Abasan added that he would go provided no one stopped him. He was referring to the poll violence during the last corporation election.

Candidate speak

Anita Mondal (Trinamul Congress)- “I shall work on improving roads, footpaths and streetlights. I have always helped residents, be it by removing trees all night after Cyclone Amphan or reaching food and groceries to them during the pandemic.”

Umashankar Ghoshdastidar (BJP)- “I shall install CCTVs across the ward to strengthen security. During the pandemic we have seen patients suffer due to non-availability of hospital beds. I shall build a mini-hospital for such patients to get temporary relief. I shall also create a network of doctors to provide telemedicine and retail outlets to help with home delivery for those unable to leave home.”

Arindam Das (Left Front)- “Besides improving roads, footpaths, parks and the Green Verge, I want to start a helpline for medical and daily needs of the aged. I also want to work on job creation.”

• To be continued next week