Smoke engulfed a section of AE Block when a fire broke out at the gate of the Green Verge in the middle of the block.
According to residents, a heap of dried leaves on the pavement caught fire around 7.30pm on Wednesday. Firemen had to come twice in course of the evening to douse the flames.
The leaves became a bone of contention after residents, on February 26, took it upon themselves to clear the Green Verge which was lying unkempt. Residents alleged that the place had become a den of mosquitoes due to lack of maintenance.
The Telegraph Salt Lake had highlighted the issue on March 3 (see below). As the Green Verge belongs to the urban development department, councillor Sabyasachi Dutta had expressed inability to clean it. Once the residents left the litter on the pavement, a week went by without the civic body disposing it, despite written appeals.
On Wednesday, three fire tenders brought things under control over an hour and half, leaving a trail of cinder which will also need to be cleared. Residents are also worried about two other heaps of leaves, including one near a house.
