Among thousands of trees felled by Cyclone Amphan was a peepal tree that stood in a bylane in Jodhpur Park. Almost a fortnight after the storm, the tree and a tilted electric pole with wires dangling from it are still blocking the stretch.

Residents of the neighbourhood said they had been caught in a tug-of-war between CESC and the Calcutta Municipal Corporation. Several complaints to both organisations have failed to elicit a response, alleged the residents.

The stretch in question is a bylane off Gariahat Road South, right next to a children’s park and a five minutes’ walk from the Jodhpur Park sub-post office. When Metro visited the spot on Monday afternoon, police guardrails and a cycle-van cordoned off the stretch. Remains of the tree were still there, as was the tilted post. The post rested on the roof of a shop, a mesh of wires dangling from it.

A CESC official, to whom this newspaper had sent pictures of the blocked stretch, said “a team would reach the area as soon as possible”.

But residents said their pleas were unanswered.

“I have sent at least 10 WhatsApp messages to the mayor. But there has been no response from the CMC,” said a resident, a teacher. His house stands on the same stretch. “Forget cars, it is risky for human beings to pass through the stretch,” he said.

An octogenarian resident said he had lodged multiple complaints with CESC. “But they have been saying one thing — CMC has to remove the tree before they can fix the pole,” he said.

The residents pointed out that the stretch was home to many senior citizens. “If there is a medical emergency, it will be impossible to get an ambulance here,” said one of them.

Power was restored to the area within 36 hours of the storm, the residents said.

In the aftermath of the cyclone, thousands of trees and electric poles were uprooted. Many Calcuttans complained of being caught in a tug-of-war between CESC and the CMC in removing trees, poles and other obstacles from the road.

Some of the residents said the stretch deserved better attention because Ratan Dey, the mayoral council member in charge of roads and the local councillor, lives there.

“The tree has been deliberately kept there to block the road, to save people from the dangling wires. I have cleared fallen trees and branches in entire Jodhpur Park within May 25. Why would I not do the same right next to my house? It is CESC’s responsibility to remove the pole,” Dey told this newspaper.

He also said the wires dangling from the pole could pose “a serious threat to civic workers”. “The cables (hanging from the pole) are insulated,” the CESC official said.