Ramesh Mitra Lane encroached by garages and cars. Pictures by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya and Talat Salahuddin

Hammers pounding on metal sheets and the drone of welding machines round the clock are what residents of Ramesh Mitra Lane suffer each day and night. A predominantly residential area, this lane, right beside Lansdowne market till the Kalighat Telephone Exchange and a little beyond, has turned into a garage zone with at least 30 legal and illegal auto repair shops operating here.

Double rows of cars, cabs, trucks and tempos waiting to be repaired line the narrow lane encroaching both the pavements and over 40 per cent of the carriageway.

As a result cars, trucks, lorries, telephone repair carts and pedestrians jostle for space on a busy day. Matters are compounded by an overflowing vat beside the telephone exchange.

Work starts from five in the morning in these garages and sometimes continues till two at night. Residents here complain of lung disorders and sleep deprivation due to the constant din of factory work. A narrow black stream of oil and grease lines the gullies to the drains adding to the waterlogging.

Pollution Control Board (PCB) officials are nowhere in sight. Shibu Kar of Kar Painters, a garage on Ramesh Mitra Lane, said: “No one from the PCB office has visited my garage ever. My trade licence is renewed by the Lansdowne Market Samity.”

The government, on its part, lays the blame squarely on the residents. “We haven’t received any complaint from the local residents. We cannot take any action unless the residents file a written complaint with us,” said M.L. Meena, the principal secretary (environment).

Governmentspeak:

“According to the law enacted in December 2000, car garages cannot be located in a residential area. However, those which have come up before 2000 are exempted. The PCB can act only when it receives specific complaints and we are yet to receive one from Ramesh Mitra Lane,” said Biswajit Mazumdar, the chief law officer of the environment department of the state government.

The garages have multiplied — from a handful — over the past 20 years. The garage owners, themselves, explain why.

Garagespeak:

“We have been running our garage for 40 years. The mechanics, who train with us, often leave to set up shop on the pavement. We can’t complain since they are unemployed youth. This is how garages have proliferated over the last 20 years,” said Prabir Mandal of Mandal Automobiles.

Civicspeak:

“I had lodged a complaint at the local police station about these garages but the police took no action. The police are hand in glove with these garage owners. I am planning to raise the issue in a Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) monthly meeting,” said Sachidananda Banerjee, the local Trinamul councillor.

Are you bothered by car garages in a residential area? Write to southmetro@abpmail.com