Latest news with #NKDA
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
KMC, NKDA log 131 WhatsApp plaints on first day of special ‘report-garbage' drive
Kolkata: On the first day of a weeklong special cleanliness drive, the KMC control room on Wednesday received 91 WhatsApp messages from across the city, urging the civic body to clean up accumulated waste in various neighbourhoods. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to sources in the KMC solid waste management department, the majority of complaints (15) came from areas in and around Park Circus under Borough VII. The KMC officials received 10 complaints from areas such as Dhakuria, Jodhpur Park, Anwar Shah, and Baghajatin under Borough X. Several complaints also came from Belgachhia, Dum Dum, Cossipore, Dhapa, Tangra, and Behala areas. "We are happy that citizens have responded to our special drive and sent complaints to our control room," said Debabrata Majumdar, the MMiC overseeing the KMC solid waste management department. According to Majumdar, the department has kept a special team of workers at the boroughs to reach the spots and take immediate action. According to a source, the department deployed 10,000 workers for cleaning streets, hospital complexes, housing complexes, and marketplaces as part of the drive. According to a KMC solid waste management department senior official, the civic body was receiving several calls everyday from across the city, requesting it to take up cleaning operations twice a day in some neighbourhoods. "We have introduced a special cleaning operation to keep Kolkata's neighbourhoods germ-free. We have roped in additional manpower to keep the city clean. We may need to continue with the service even after June 3," said a SWM senior official. "We have been engaging the major part of our team for regular cleaning of thoroughfares, hospital complexes, and marketplaces. This apart, we have kept several smaller groups on standby. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Whenever we are getting calls from any specific neighbourhoods, we are sending our teams to those places," a KMC SWM official said. Following the footstep of KMC, the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) also started conducting a week-long special cleaning drive across New Town from Wednesday. NKDA officials said they had received close to 40 complaints on WhatsApp on the first day of the drive itself. "Our teams are reaching out to the spots as per complaints and ensuring that the premises are cleaned at the earliest," said a NKDA official. (Inputs by Suman Chakraborti)
Time of India
5 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Civic bodies get ready to tackle waterlogging
1 2 Kolkata: Civic bodies in Kolkata, Salt Lake and New Town are bracing for heavy rain and keeping teams ready to flush out excess storm water to prevent waterlogging. KMC has instructed engineers at major drainage pumping stations, including Palmerbazar, Ballygunge, Dhapa Lock, Mominpore, Ultadanga and Southern Avenue, to ensure all primary pumps are functioning to remove storm water. In BMC areas, the civic authorities have been cleaning drainage lines with suction machines while Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority (NDITA) has kept five pump houses ready. After a few spots were waterlogged on Monday, New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) has identified similar areas, like Shrachi crossing, Eastern High bus stand, Mani Casadona and Thakdari crossing, and cleared the drains. KMC has prepared a roster to deploy staff from the drainage department in areas known to be susceptible to waterlogging while borough-specific desilting equipment will be deployed when necessary. "A disaster management team positioned at KMC headquarters will respond to emergencies during rain," said an offiicial. Surveillance of lock-gates along the Hooghly will be enhanced to reduce flooding risk in BBD Bagh, Kalighat, Chetla, New Alipore, and Tollygunge. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo On Monday, Tarak Singh, MMiC supervising the sewerage and drainage department, led civic officials to inspect outfall canals near EM Bypass. He noted that some canals, like Guniagachi and Suti, require thorough dredging. He visited Bantala and Chowbagha pumping stations, directing staff to operate pumps to prevent flooding in catchment areas. BMC is regularly using gully pit-emptier machines. "Drains and canals have been cleaned," said an NKDA official. "The drainage lines have been cleaned with suction jetting machines," said an NDITA official.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
New Town likely to get 9-acre wildlife conservation park
Kolkata: With an indigenous population of golden jackals and other wildlife, like snakes and monitor lizards , often being spotted in New Town, the govt is considering a plan to develop an urban wildlife forestry conservation park in the township with the aim to preserve such animals to avoid man-animal conflict. Sources from the state secretariat said the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) has earmarked a nine-acre plot near Kadampukur in the border area of New Town Action Area II. The forest department is preparing a concept note on the plan, govt sources said. "The plan is in its preliminary stage. The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) had earlier proposed to the forest department if a wildlife conservation park could be set up since any new township often displays wildlife to a certain degree, and there is a need for conservation of wildlife. A meeting was recently convened between forest department, Hidco and NKDA officials, where the forest department has primarily shown interest in the proposal," a govt official said. Wildlife conservationists said the administration was on the right track. "It will be a good initiative if such a conservation park is developed, as wildlife like jackals, monitor lizards, and snakes can be conserved, it will prevent man-animal conflict and also save them from road mishaps in the urban setup. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo The conservation effort would be more effective if, in the long run, after their numbers increase following breeding, the animals are released in the jungle to rehabilitate them in the natural setup in which they belong," said wildlife conservationist Biswajit Roy Chowdhury. New Town is surrounded by panchayat areas of greater Rajarhat and Bhangar, which still have a considerable number of wildlife. These animals — jackals and monitor lizards — often stray into New Town and come in front of vehicles. Multiple jackals died in road accidents in New Town in the first two months of this year, and 12 injured jackals were rescued. Not only jackals, but both venomous and non-venomous snakes are often spotted in different places of the township, especially during the monsoon, with multiple snakebite deaths reported in 2023. Following this, the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) came up with a detailed guideline on snakebite management. There is the forest department's wildlife rescue and transit facility in Salt Lake, where snakes and other wildlife spotted in nearby areas are rescued and brought in before they are released into the jungle. The facility often receives calls from different areas of Salt Lake and New Town for rescuing snakes, including venomous ones, that are spotted. At present, there is also the mini zoo spread over 12.5 acres next to Eco Park, which has animals like spotted and bark deer, zebra, giraffe, and a hippopotamus that were brought in under the animal exchange plan. Hidco has also developed a bird enclosure in New Town, which has become a safe habitat for birds and turtles.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
New Town set to get 2 more smart bus stops
1 2 Kolkata: The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) plans to set up two more smart bus stops at New Town on both ends of the road near the National Insurance Company building on Street No 372. The estimated project cost to set up each of the bus stops according to the existing model was pegged at Rs 14.6 lakh. Officials said that this is a pending work as part of setting up smart bus stops or bus passenger shelters expanding towards Action Area III. At present, there are around 14 smart bus stops across New Town, with most of them in areas of Action Area I and II. NKDA has been setting up smart bus stops which have a modern look along with passenger-friendly amenities, as could be seen in cities abroad. The first such smart bus stop inaugurated in New Town was in Nov, 2020. The smart bus stops have electronic boards which display bus arrival and departure timings along with a map of the area with directions to move to nearby important places. There are also sitting arrangements and a newspaper, magazine corner along with a kiosk for commuters to sit, and have a cup of tea or coffee while waiting for a bus.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Green drive in New Town to plant 50k trees this year
Kolkata: The (NKDA) is set to undertake a across New Town, planting 50,000 flower-bearing tall trees according to soil stated that with an average height of 15 ft will be planted on the roadside, median dividers, and other vacant open green spaces. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Trees selected for plantation include Bakul, Krishnachura, Radhachura, Cassia, Bilati Jarul, Ashoke, Kadam, Janglibadam, Shimul, Karanj, Chhatim, Sirish, Arjun, Swarnachampa, and Mahogany," said an has started the process to engage agencies for the plantation drive. They will be tasked with planting the trees within a month, and nursing them for three mentioned that pits measuring 2 ftx2 ft will be dug and filled with earth mixed with the required fertiliser for planting the saplings. The saplings will initially be supported with bamboo sticks to aid their the years, as an initiative to increase greenery, NKDA has planted small- and medium-sized trees, like coconut, palm, and cherry blossom, off the main arterial road. These trees do not have very large activists emphasised that not only plantation but also proper maintenance and upkeep of the saplings are necessary for them to survive and fully grow. Ecologic — a New Town-based nature lovers' forum, which planted close to 3,500 trees in different areas of New Town in the last three years — conducted an experiment to ensure that the trees receive regular water to survive the summer heat, by by planting water bottles next to the saplings with a tiny hole at the bottom, allowing water to ooze out and keep the soil moist for an extended period.
