Residents of Park Circus are now ready to stand up against traffic chaos and pollution, buoyed by their victory in the Book Fair case.

The rapid increase in volume of traffic to and from the EM Bypass and a construction boom have left the once quiet and green belt grappling with traffic snarls and pollution problems.

“We grew up amid greenery and that’s why we can understand how much the local environment has deteriorated in the past few years. What are we leaving behind for our children? Are they not entitled to pollution-free air?” asked Saqib Ahmed, a resident of Darga Road.

He and his neighbours have been trying to restore the green cover in the area. The civic body had felled trees in Park Circus to increase road space. “We are planning to plant saplings on the pavements,” said Ahmed.

Forming a forum is also on the agenda. Its members will seek permission from the traffic department to hire guards to assist the policemen in traffic management.

Fed up with incessant traffic jams, the members of the Darga Road Citizens’ Committee had approached local schools in May last year to explore the possibility of senior students helping in traffic control.

“The traffic management in and around Park Circus has been a complete failure. Vehicles to and from the Bypass are increasing but nothing is being done to tackle the congestion. On top of that, the state government and the guild wanted to hold the Book Fair here,” said a member of the citizens’ committee.

The Book Fair victory has taught the residents to help themselves. “When we saw that nobody was coming forward to help, we moved the court on January 23. The bar on holding the fair on Park Circus Maidan proves that where there’s a will, there’s a way,” said Kalyan Saha, the secretary of the committee.