The heavy rain and gusts of wind that struck Kolkata on May 29 brought down dozens of trees across the city. However, it was not a cyclonic storm. The strongest gusts recorded were between 30 and 60 kmph, well below the 62 kmph threshold at which the India Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies a system as a cyclonic storm.
The Met office had issued an orange alert that morning for several districts of Bengal. Heavy rain and thunderstorms hit the city around 2pm, with gusty winds.
Seven people died and dozens of trees were uprooted. From Esplanade in central Kolkata to Lake Market in the south and Baranagar to the north of the city, uprooted trees caused disruption in traffic and daily life.
This is not a one-time phenomenon, claim environmentalists. Poor tree-planting habits might cause even more severe damage to the city in the future, they warn.
“The previous regime hired planners who knew very little about the environment and the trees suitable for a city like Kolkata,” alleged Naba Dutta, environmental activist and secretary of the NGO Sabuj Mancha.
“Rather than fruit trees with stronger roots, they started planting shrub-like trees susceptible to fall,” he alleged.
He said that Kolkata previously had stronger trees like mango, jamun and krishnachura but they were cut and sold as timber.
“Felling of trees for profit and planting anything you like in their place is not sustainable ecology. The government officials did not understand or most probably did not care for it,” he said.
What he said is not startling. Such allegations of cutting trees and selling timber for profit have been around in Bengal for a long time.
The civic authorities denied any laxity.
“We follow every procedure, from trimming tree branches to planting,” Debasish Kumar, member, mayor-in-council for Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), told My Kolkata.
“A storm came and trees fell. We are surprised as well. The trees we were sure of strength fell. This is surprising to us too,” he said.
Some other civic body officials said they were not the experts in commenting on why trees have fallen, nor do they know how to prevent it.
Dutta said the solution to uprooted trees is planting trees that not only stay in place but also act as pockets of diversity in the city.
“Fruit trees can sustain severe storms. Not only that, they are home to birds, rodents and insects,” he pointed out. “Trees like Palash, Arjun and Ashok are all good trees for a city like Kolkata. Careless planting of trees can lead to major problems. From roadways to electric supply, uprooted trees are a major hazard in a thickly populated city.”
