Kolkata Residents Force Halt to Water Pipe Project to Protect Trees
Residents of New Alipore in Kolkata took decisive action this week to protect their neighborhood trees. They stepped out of their homes on Wednesday and stopped workers from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation's water supply department. The workers were digging a narrow pavement strip between F and G blocks for a water pipe project.
Root Damage Sparks Immediate Protest
The residents discovered something alarming. Workers had bored tunnels directly through the roots of mature jarul and gulmohar trees. This senseless digging hollowed out the roots of at least four large trees in the area.
Amitabh Tibrewal, a resident of F Block who lives right next to the dug-up stretch, expressed his initial anger. "Roots of at least four big trees in our neighbourhood were hollowed out by the senseless digging underneath," he said. "Though the trees are standing now, they will topple when there is a storm."
The location of this digging was Jnan Goswami Sarani. This street serves as a thoroughfare leading to a Bailey bridge that was installed after the Majerhat bridge collapse.
Civic Officials Rush to the Scene
Following media reports about the situation, KMC officials took swift action. A team from the civic body's water supply and parks department rushed to the spot on Thursday. They implemented measures to ensure the damaged trees would not topple.
A senior official from the KMC water supply department explained their response. "We adopted measures as suggested by the botanists to save the trees that came under the senseless digging process," the official stated. "At the same time, we asked the contractor to explain the process of digging that proved to be detrimental for the full-grown trees. In future, we will keep a vigil on the functioning of the contractor."
Residents Remain Vigilant Despite Temporary Resolution
The KMC has temporarily suspended the water pipe project in response to the community's concerns. This pause aims to save the affected trees and reassess the construction approach.
Local resident Meenakshi Pandeya had previously asked workers to show documents proving they could burrow under the trees. She expressed relief that immediate danger was averted but remained cautious. "The danger is over, but for the time being," Pandeya noted. "The pipe-laying work could have been done at the edge of the road instead of the pavement where the trees are. The manner in which the digging happened under the trees is shocking."
Pandeya vowed to protest again if trees face harm in the future. Tibrewal also later expressed satisfaction that KMC officials acted in time to save more trees from potential destruction.
Neighborhood Trees Hold Special Significance
The threatened trees are not just ordinary vegetation for New Alipore residents. The jarul tree, also known as Pride of India, produces beautiful purple flowers. The gulmohar tree displays vibrant red blossoms.
Together, these trees add significant color and beauty to the neighborhood. They create picturesque scenery that residents take great pride in. Their preservation matters deeply to the community's identity and environmental quality.
This incident highlights ongoing tensions between urban development projects and environmental conservation in growing cities. It demonstrates how community action can influence municipal projects and protect natural assets.
