Public Clean‑up Order Issued as Kolkata Battles Dengue

Kolkata's municipal and metro officials have issued an urgent public clean‑up order to combat dengue fever. The joint campaign, inaugurated on August 29 at the Esplanade metro station, will run until September 3.

Key figures—KMC administrator Smita Pandey and Metro's Principal Chief Medical Officer Reena Mukherjee—are heading the drive, while Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul highlighted the pivotal role of citizen vigilance. He warned against footpath encroachments and urged traders to keep a minimum of two‑thirds of their premises open for pedestrian traffic.

The program encompasses all metro stations, surrounding districts, and selected South Eastern Railway stations and train‑car sheds. Notices are being sent to owners of neglected plots where water may accumulate, pursuant to Section 496 of the Municipal Corporation Act, 1994.

Anyone caught discarding plastic waste or any trash will face a fine between 200 and 400 rupees, coupled with a firm warning to clean the area, capture the remediation on video, and post it online. The campaign is not a short‑term monsoon response; it will persist, coordinated with the irrigation and public works departments throughout the state.