Kolkata, Oct. 5 -- BJP MLA Ritesh Tiwari has alleged that poor civic services and administrative inaction have worsened the dengue situation in north Kolkata's Cossipore-Belgachia Assembly Constituency, with Ward 6 and areas along BT Road among those he claimed were particularly affected.
Speaking to the media, Tiwari said he was seeking the cleaning of more than 30 ponds and water bodies in the area since June, but alleged that repeated requests to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation had failed to bring adequate action. He claimed that several people had been hospitalised with dengue and that deaths had also occurred, while civic officials were allegedly presenting inaccurate data to senior authorities. Tiwari further alleged that during Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Agnimitra Paul's recent visit, she was taken through only a cleaned stretch, leaving areas with accumulated garbage and mosquito breeding sites outside the inspection.
Paul, however, rejected the suggestion that the actual situation had been concealed during her visit. She said KMC Commissioner Smita Pandey had taken her to an area reporting the highest number of infections, with around 54 cases.
The minister said she had ordered immediate removal of accumulated waste wherever it was found, along with distribution of mosquito nets and measures to protect residents from dengue.
At the same time, Paul said she would personally inspect the areas highlighted by Tiwari before Durga Puja and assured that the complaints would be examined on the ground.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.