Century-Old Tree Topples, Disrupts Kolkata Traffic

Kolkata: A century-old banyan tree, towering over 50 feet in height, collapsed on Sarat Bose Road at approximately 7:55 am on Wednesday, causing significant traffic disruption during peak hours and cutting power supply to surrounding residences and businesses. The incident occurred near the Chakraberia crossing, blocking both flanks of Sarat Bose Road and impacting the daily commute for numerous residents.

An NGO has taken the initiative to transport the fallen tree trunk to Park Circus Maidan for transplantation, highlighting a community-driven response to the mishap. Traffic on the south-bound flank was restored around 12:30 pm after branches were removed, while the north-bound flank remained obstructed until 6 pm. Traffic diversions were implemented, rerouting north-bound vehicles from Deshapriya Park and south-bound traffic from Minto Park. The diversions caused increased traffic pressure on Ashutosh Mukherjee Road, Ballygunge Circular Road, and Syed Amir Ali Avenue. Local councillor noted the significant inconvenience caused, particularly as many schools in the vicinity had recently reopened, creating a major challenge for students, office-goers, and daily commuters. Kolkata Traffic Police, Disaster Management Group (DMG) personnel, and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) parks and squares department responded promptly, utilising modern telescopic handlers, payloaders, and chainsaws to clear the road and restore traffic flow.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported. However, a nearby parked car sustained damage, and an eyewitness recounted how a biker narrowly escaped injury as the tree gradually leaned towards the ground. The toppled tree severed electrical lines and damaged a CESC joint box, leading to a power outage in the area. Traffic signal posts were also significantly damaged. Initial investigations revealed that two six-inch water supply pipelines from the British era, one of which was leaking, caused the soil around the tree’s roots to loosen, contributing to the tree’s collapse. A similar incident occurred last May when another banyan tree was uprooted during water supply pipe repair efforts by KMC’s water department. A resident of a nearby building, confirmed that water supply pressure had been low for several months, causing major issues during the summer. He added that a complaint had been lodged with the local ward regarding the low pressure.