Kolkata Mayor addresses city's concerns on air quality, rats, hawkers, and water wastage

Kolkata's Mayor addressed several pressing issues in a recent statement, highlighting the city's focus on combatting air pollution. Despite a recent drop in rank from 3 to 23 in air quality, the Mayor announced a proactive measure to sprinkle the entire city with water from sprinkler machines on the day after Diwali. Additionally, efforts to combat environmental concerns include a significant tree plantation initiative, with 50 thousand trees already planted this year, and plans for one crore trees to be planted over the next three years.

The Mayor also addressed urban challenges, acknowledging the persistence of rat problems, revealing personal experiences with rats damaging property. Concerning street vendors, the Mayor emphasized a strategy of control rather than prohibition, stating that hawkers will not be permitted to sit in areas with black tops.

Water conservation was another key focus, with new water connections in Kolkata requiring meters. Notably, the successful installation of meters in 18,655 houses across six wards of Kashipur resulted in a 52 percent reduction in water wastage. The Mayor urged the adoption of this approach citywide and warned of consequences for those damaging public water facilities. Furthermore, the Mayor shared a positive update on public health, reporting a decrease of 300 dengue patients in the past week.