KMC gears up to fight vector borne diseases

KMC gears up to fight vector borne diseases

Posted on July 24, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The Trinamool Congress board at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is out to tame vector borne diseases as they might cause embarrassment to the Mamata Banerjee government prior to the assembly polls next summer.

The KMC’s health department has organised a workshop for all private medical practitioners to sensitise them on the new guidelines on clinical management of dengue – a potentially fatal disease. The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) director would be the main speaker of the sensitisation workshop at Uttam Mancha on August 1.

Earlier, in February, all civic councillors, medical officers and selected health field workers attended an awareness camp on vector borne diseases at Uttam Mancha. KMC authorities are inviting around 800-900 private medical practitioners across Kolkata for the August 1 workshop.

The workshop would also be a refresher course for the medical officers. It is the medical officers and health field workers who take on the challenge on the ground to minimise the attack of vector borne diseases. So, it becomes necessary for us to sensitise them at regular intervals.

KMC authorities have invited 10 neighbouring municipalities in a bid to chalk out a combined fight against malaria and dengue. KMC’s health department has called a high-level meeting with chairmen or representatives of neighbouring municipalities at the civic headquarters on Thursday.

“Combating mosquito-borne diseases cannot be done alone. So, we want to involve our neighbouring municipalities to ensure a malaria and dengue free city,” Atin Ghosh, Member, Mayor-in-Council (Health), said.

KMC has been seeking funds from the Centre to beef up infrastructure in these municipalities. Joint secretary of the Union health ministry who looks after the National Urban Health Mission is coming to Kolkata on August 1 and a meeting is scheduled with all stakeholders, which includes all these neighbouring municipalities also.

KMC health department officials want to train the officials of the neighbouring municipalities on Thursday prior to meeting the Union health ministry bosses. This meeting could pave the way for central funding for infrastructure development.

The neighbouring municipalities include Howrah, Madhyamgram, North and South Dum Dum, Bidhannagar, Rajarhat Goplapur, Mahestala, Sonarpur and Baruipur, among others.

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Allocations Raised On Water, Slum, Waste Management in KMC Budget 2015-16

Posted on July 10, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee presented the KMC Budget for the year 2015-16 on Thursday.

The Kolkata Mayor has strained the frayed KMC coffers to increase expenditure on three fronts: water supply , solid waste management and slum development. In fact, with the focus being on the basic infrastructure, less money has been allotted for beautification and parks.

Development has been made in solid waste management by installing compactor stations under the Clean City Project, working towards freeing the roads of vats, which are more often than not, spill over with piles of garbage. But water supply has remained a cause of concern in pockets along E M Bypass, and vast stretches of Tollygunge, Behala, Jadavpur, Garden Reach, where the Trinamool holds sway . The civic board has also spent the least when it came to water supply to slums. The KMC is now expecting an additional Rs 123 crore from the Municipal Development Fund of the state government, which will be used to speed up capacity augmentation of the Garden Reach water treatment plant to soothe nerves. The projected expenditure, said a source, had shot up by Rs 557 crore, though revenue generation has not witnessed any significant rise.

The Mayor has also announced a waiver on property tax interest, to collect outstanding revenues. The Mayor hopes to earn an additional Rs 100 crore on the property tax front, after the interest waiver policy. With the property tax being the corporation’s mainstay , the KMC has been targeting major tax defaulters.

Allotments in the KMC Budget 2015-16:

2015-16 allocation for Water Supply: Rs 324.92 crore.

2015-16 allocation for Lighting and Electrification: Rs 107.67 crore.

2015-16 allocation for Social Welface and Urban Poverty Alleviation: Rs 14.43 crore.

2015-16 allocation for Slum Development: Rs 136.38 crore.

2015-16 allocation for Parks and Squares: Rs 38.50 crore.

2015-16 allocation for Drainage: Rs 223.42 crore.

2015-16 allocation for Education: Rs 33.22 crore.

2015-16 allocation for Health: Rs 130.43 crore.

Women Corporators of Kolkata Bring Fresh Development Ideas to their City

Posted on June 26, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Sudharshana Mukherjee is used to a busy life. As a television journalist, she planned her day around the news cycle and often had to burn the midnight oil to meet deadlines.

Today, she is no longer a reporter but her schedule is about to get crazy hectic, with back-to-back meetings and discussions with city officials, municipal workers and, of course, citizens.

Mukherjee is among the 70 women that have been voted to the 144-member KMC for a five-year term. This is the highest number of female candidates ever elected to the municipality and together they will take decisions that will impact the future of the 4.6 million that live in the bustling city.

From businesswomen, professionals and home-makers there is a mix of talented women in the municipality today and each one has brought to the job her unique understanding of issues and a work ethic based on integrity and diligence.

All these require meticulous planning, equitable use of funds and, naturally, a constant know-how on what people want.

Personally, two-time councillor Jui Biswas from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) wants to “lead by example” and put “my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree to good use to draw up specific plans for the betterment of the city”. This mother-of-two knows “there is a lot that needs to get done especially in terms of bringing the city’s infrastructure up-to-date” and she has to play her part in the progress.

The female corporators are keen to concentrate on regularising standards of sanitation, drainage and water supply in addition to access to education.

Excerpted from an article that appeared in The Better India

KMC launches WhatsApp number for citizen services

Posted on June 26, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Citizen services in Kolkata will now be a WhatsApp message away.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation has launched a dedicated number where you can send feedback, grievances, suggestions or any information you want to share. All you have to do is share a photo-based or text message via WhatsApp messenger app.

The messages will be collected centrally, sorted and handed out to the respective borough offices.

The WhatsApp number for Kolkata Municipal Corporation is: 8335-988-888.

KMC committee formed for Kolkata beautification

Posted on June 24, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee on Tuesday formed a committee that will determine `fair’ rates for the city’s beautification projects.

The committee headed by Atin Ghosh, a senior member, mayor-in-council, will help civic officials in fixing a `fair rate’ for contractors who will be awarded tenders for beautification works.He will be assisted by three other senior MMiCs Tarak Singh, Debasish Kumar and Debabrata Majumdar. After they reach a consensus on the `fair rate’ at which the payment will be made to the contractors, the proposal will be placed before the mayor for his approval.

The civic body has plans to beautify the city on the lines of similar projects being undertaken in other metropolitan cities. “For this, we needed to fix a fair rate for the contractors. I will give my stamp of approval to the rates to be fixed by the expert committee from time to time,“ the Mayor said.

WB Govt eases trade license rules

Posted on June 19, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The West Bengal Government, on Wednesday, eased the rules to get a trade license in an effort to weed out procedural delays. From now on, people can get a provisional certificate for a year, pending all the regulatory approvals, immediately on application.

They will have a year to get the Permanent Enlistment Certificate, which will be valid for three years. At present, that licence is valid for only a year.

The Bill proposed by Urban Development Minister Mr Firhad Hakim in the State Assembly on Wednesday was supported by the opposition. Trade licence, an essential prerequisite to trade, own a shop or office premises, is granted by the municipal bodies for a fee of Rs 2,500. This licence has to be renewed every year for a fee.

According to the earlier procedure, a person had to formally apply to the municipal department and submit updated tax receipts, owner ship documents and consent letters or tenancy certificates for rented places along with the application. Professionals had to submit another set of documents to prove that their jobs were valid. This, however, was only one aspect.

For specific trades, a different set of regulatory approvals were also needed. To run a wine or liquour shop, it required an additional police and excise approval and for import-export units, separate approvals from customs, excise and appointing authorities were required. An applicant had to wait till all of these came through.

These things are long winding and take a lot of time -anything from three to six months. However, according to the amended laws, those under Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Howrah Municipal Corporation and other municipalities in the state, can log on to the web portal (or make a formal application over-the-counter) and pay the requisite fee.

If, prima facie, their documents are in order, it will immediately lead to the issuance of provisional certificates pending the statutory approvals. These certificates are valid for only a year and permanent certificates have to be obtained within that time.

“So no one has to wait. Multiple agencies have their own procedures for verification and this may take time. In the meantime, one can ply their trade with the provisional certificates,” the Urban Development Minister said.

Kolkata emerges as national model in providing e-services

Posted on June 10, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Kolkata has emerged as a national model in providing e-services to citizens, Mayor of Kolkata, Sovan Chatterjee today informed via Twitter.

He added that Union Ministry of Urban Development has written to Kolkata Municipal Corporation to share the best practices model for other cities to emulate.

Bengal shows the way

This is not the first time, Bengal has emerged as a national model. From countering left-wing extremism in Jangalmahal to the fair price medicine shops, Bengal has always showed the way.

Incidentally, a recent survey by a Bangalore based organisation adjudged Kolkata as the best city to live in India. India Today magazine termed Kolkata as the safest city in India. Kolkata also emerged in the list of fastest growing cities in the world in AT Kearney’s Global Cities Index.

Mayor promises taxi stands across Kolkata soon

Posted on June 10, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee has promised a taxi stand at every locality in Kolkata soon.

“Mamata Baner jee has asked us – Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police – to initiate efforts to ensure a taxi stand/bay at every nook and corner of the city. I have asked my officials and Kolkata Police to submit a report after joint inspection and survey of all parking areas in the city and make necessary arrangements to allow taxis to be parked in all such areas,” the Mayor told reporters on Tuesday after a high-level meeting at civic headquarters with police officials.

Debashis Kumar, member, mayor-in-council (parking, parks & squares, sports, advertisement) said KMC would submit Kolkata Police its survey report on parking lots across the city on Wednesday and a joint inspection, if required would be initiated to ensure space of parking taxis.

Apart from providing spaces for taxis in the parking lots, KMC would also initiate efforts to increase the number of private vehicles parked in the same parking area.

KMC is also initiating efforts to add new stretches of parking areas in the city. “With growing numbers of cars plying the streets of Kolkata the number of parking spaces too need to be increased and we are working on it,” the MMiC said.

KMC readies for battle against malaria and dengue

Posted on June 9, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Even before the monsoon arrived in the city, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) authorities have chalked out a detailed public awareness campaign to fight mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and malaria.

“July and August record the highest rainfall in Kolkata every year and heavy monsoon gives possible rise to breeding of mosquito larvae that in course might cause spread of diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya. Our fight is to prevent such rise through mass awareness and hence the initiative,” Atin Ghosh, member, mayor-in-council (health), told.

Mass awareness programme

KMC’s mass awareness campaign against spread of dengue and malaria would include dos and don’ts to prevent breeding of mosquito larvae across the city.

Civic officials plan an extensive round-the-year awareness campaign and have also scheduled food and water safety campaign in the festive months from October to December.

“During these three months, Hindus, Muslims and Christians have festivals and with the celebrations seeing additional footfalls, they create an opportunity for selling food, coloured water, and soft drinks, among others. We only want to sensitise the masses about the food safety norms, which needs to be followed while purchasing food products during the festivities,” a senior doctor with KMC’s health department said.

Food safety norms

KMC will also put up over 4,000 billboards on the streets of Kolkata as part of the awareness campaign on food safety norms. According to sources, KMC will be spending over lakh to make consumers and sellers aware about the food safety norms in context of the recent Maggi controversy.

“Solid waste management workers collecting garbage from every doorstep will reach out with handouts in four different languages – English, Hindi, Bengali and Urdu,” the MMiC added. KMC and the Consumer Affairs department are jointly launching three tableaus that will roam around the city from Monday with messages on awareness against food and water borne diseases.

According to the awareness calendar, January to March is scheduled for awareness on tuberculosis, which is still a killer disease in Kolkata.

Kolkata to get solar grid soon

Posted on May 18, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Kolkata is set to be lit up by the sun after dusk after a successful three-month pilot project at Deshapriya Park boosted the confidence of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) authorities and plans are being made to install solar panels in street lights across the city and connect them to the main conventional power grid that runs Kolkata and its suburbs.

Clean and green power

The exercise, once complete, will reduce the dependence on electricity to a great extent and also help people breathe better quality air — with lesser amounts of the deadly carbon emissions. Above all, the initiative will help the cash-strapped KMC to save crores of rupees.

The changeover will be equivalent to planting around 600 fully grown trees within the city at one go, or stop adding nearly 7,000 kilos of carbon dioxide every hour to the air we breathe. Carbon dioxide, a green house gas, is one of the major reasons behind global warming.

Solar Pilot Project

The pilot project involved 50 solar panels — installed on street lamps at Deshapriya Park in South Kolkata three months ago. It was a first of its kind experiment in India where grid-connected street lamps were using solar panels to light up roads. All solar street lighting systems that are there in the country, including in Kolkata, are battery-operated and have no connection to the grid, unlike the new system. As far as installing solar panels in street lamps across the city is concerned, a concept note has been prepared and discussions are on..

The note has been prepared by experts of KMC, CESC and a private body, which is approved by the Union government and was awarded the Green Oscar in 2004.

The project was launched in February with funds from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited. The street lights were fitted with ‘intelligent controllers’ which help the LED light to use only that much power that has been generated throughout the day or less than that. The surplus, if any, will be routed to the conventional power grid and a record of the amount of power transferred would be kept for future reference.

Alternative sources of energy

A bright sunny day in May is expected to generate 1 kilowatt of electricity. The ‘intelligent controller’ will ensure that the LED bulb uses a maximum of 1 kilowatt or less, with the extra power being sent to the grid.

On a cloudy day, when there is less sunlight, the street lamp can draw power from the grid, because it had deposited the extra power it generated to the grid on a sunny day. In other words, it will be somewhat like a bank account: You can withdraw only as much as you deposit.

Street lights in Kolkata consume around 10 MW of electricity every hour. As this power comes from the burning of coal in our thermal power plants, at least 7,000 kilos of carbon dioxide are emitted to the atmosphere every hour to light up Kolkata. If the power is shifted to solar, this can be stopped to a great extent, if not entirely.