A 20ft-long boundary wall of Calcutta Rowing Club, a heritage club on the lake, came crashing down after a 50-year-old banyan tree on the premises fell on it during the downpour on Thursday afternoon.

The club shared the wall with Rabindra Sarobar.

“The banyan tree must be over 50 years old. It is a rather big tree and it fell on the wall. Since this is our compound wall, it needs to be repaired immediately as it raises security concerns,” said club secretary Chandan Roy Choudhury.

The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has been notified since the tree has to be lifted with a crane. “It is a very heavy tree and can only be lifted with a crane. I have spoken to the KMDA,” Roy Choudhury said.

The club has many old trees on its premises, which overlook the Dhakuria Lake.

Founded in 1858, the club is no stranger to nature’s fury. Soon after its inception, the club, which used to be near Chandpal Ghat, on the banks of the Hooghly, was hit by a cyclone in 1862. All its records and documents, along with boats in the boathouse, were swept away. Only the account details of 1858-59, signed by the honorary secretary, were left behind.

With river traffic increasing, the club later shifted to Kidderpore in 1897, where a straight course of a mile was available in the river. The club shifted a third time in 1907, to a place near the Majerhat bridge.

The final place was Dhakuria, where the lake was dug from 1924-1928.

The club got its permanent address here and a boathouse was built, along with a pavilion, and the banks were reinforced.

The club was ready in April 1928 and has since hosted a number of regattas, both domestic and international.