Newz Desk, Durgapur :Durga Puja is a month away from now. But some puja committees in Durgapur appear to be giving little thought to the city’s trees. In the rush to clear space for elaborate lighting displays, decorative panels and towering hoardings, branches of trees are being cut down indiscriminately — often in ways that increase the risk of the trees falling over.
Local nature activists warn that such pruning, when carried out recklessly, can destabilise trees. “If branches are cut only on one side, the tree becomes heavier on the other, which increases the risk of collapse,” said an environment campaigner. A few years ago, a motorcyclist was killed in City Centre when a tree unexpectedly toppled in the middle of traffic.
The danger is heightened during the monsoon. Conservationists say pruning can be beneficial at this time of year, provided it is done properly and with expertise. Otherwise, they caution, the balance of a tree is “definitely disturbed”.
The safety concerns extend beyond the trees themselves. Massive billboards and festival hoardings have been erected on road dividers, traffic rotaries and even near bus stands. Commuters complain that these hoardings block sightlines, and can cause accidents. In some instances, residents say, the displays have completely obscured views — creating convenient cover for petty crime.
The Durgapur Municipal Corporation should issue formal advisory to puja organisers against installing hoardings that block roads, and require to file detailed plans identifying where hoardings begin and end. Every display, campaigners argue, should carry the name of the puja committee responsible.
“Trees that come in the way of decorations are being mercilessly sliced down,” Sourin Mukherjee a resident in DSP township Durgapur said. “If committees are cutting branches, they should also be required to plant at least 50 saplings to offset the greenery lost,” he said.
