Tree stumps and mangled branches jut out along several roads of Salt Lake and its adjoining areas as the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation has yet to remove the signs of destruction inflicted by Cyclone Amphan more than two months ago.
Apart from serving as a grim reminder of the trail of destruction the cyclone wreaked across the state, the stumps and branches in all three sectors of the township are putting motorists, two-wheeler riders and pedestrians at risk.
Sandhya Chakraborty, 58, a resident of GC block, said she tripped after her foot got caught in a branch lying on the road opposite the FD market on Friday evening.
Stumps lie on the road near EE block in Salt Lake’s Sector II Snehal Sengupta
“I was returning home from the market when I tripped on the branch and fell. I failed to notice that it was sticking out. There was not much light as several streetlights on the stretch have not been functioning since the cyclone struck on May 20,” said Chakraborty, who suffered bruises on her hands and legs.
An official of the corporation said the civic body failed to remove the branches and stumps because of a “severe shortage” of labourers.
Rohima Bibi Mondal, the mayoral council member in charge of the environment and tree-pruning department of the corporation, said on Saturday they would remove the stumps and branches as soon as possible.
“I don’t have enough men in my department for the job. Most of our labourers stay in Duttabad and parts of Rajarhat, where the number of Covid-19 cases is on the rise. The fear of getting infected is prompting many to stay away from work. We are trying to make do with the handful of men reporting for work. Hence, there is some delay in removing the stumps and branches,” she said.
Apart from shortage of workers, Mondal said several trucks of the civic body and a hydraulic earthmover, which are used to remove branches and trunks, are not working.
In several places, the branches and the chopped-off trunks have blocked gully pits and rainwater drainage channels, resulting in waterlogging after almost every spell of heavy rain. Residents across the township said they were living in constant fear of a dengue outbreak.
Samaresh Das, a resident of FD block, said several chopped-off trunks and branches have been dumped on an empty plot near the block market. People are also dumping garbage on the plot. “A stench pervades our entire neighbourhood,” said Das.
Garbage and branches dumped near City Centre in Salt Lake Snehal Sengupta
Devashis Jana, the mayoral council member in charge of solid waste management, said keeping roads clean and preventing a pile-up of garbage were proving to be a challenge. He also cited defunct trucks and lack of personnel for the delay in removing the branches and stumps.
“Most workers of the solid waste management department work on a daily-wage basis and are not contractually bound to us…. A sizeable section of the workforce is not reporting for work, so we are facing some problems. We are trying to hire new workers,” said Jana.
The 41 wards of the civic body have a workforce of around 1,000 labourers, who are engaged in garbage collection and cleaning the streets.
