KMC to beautify wetlands as part of city heritage: Mayor

Firhad Hakim also was apprehensive about the safety of Metro tunnels with water seepage at stations

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has decided to beautify the wetlands in the eastern fringes of the city. The beautification initiative is to include aspects like restricting encroachments in the form of illegal construction, pisciculture, constructing house boats or even sports grounds. According to mayor Firhad Hakim, the initiative aims at preserving the wetlands that play a crucial role in treating the city's waste water naturally. "The wetlands are a treasury of Kolkata. Protecting the wetlands is our duty," said the mayor, adding, "We are trying to explore options that could be implemented as per the Wetland Act. The place would be beautified as a tourist attraction so that people would be able to visit there and enjoy the view. But whatever would be done, it would be as per the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules," he added.