Remal fells 500 trees, 3rd highest after Amphan, Aila
Times of India | 29 May 2024
Kolkata: Cyclone Remal uprooted over 500 trees in Kolkata, leading to the third-highest loss of green cover in recent times after cyclones Amphan and Aila.
Amphan had left the most brutal trail of destruction on the city’s vegetation cover as it felled over 15,000 full-grown trees in May 2020. A decade ago, Cyclone Aila uprooted around 900 large trees as it struck Kolkata in May 2009.
According to a KMC official, of the 500 trees uprooted by Remal, more than 450 have been removed from roads. “Work is still on and we hope to wrap up the job by Wednesday afternoon,” he said. Most uprooting of trees were reported from five borough areas in south Kolkata, known as the green zones of the city. From Ballygunge to Behala-Joka belt, over 200 full-grown trees were uprooted in less than 12 hours after the cyclone hit the Sundarbans. “We lost scores of full-grown trees in Ballygunge, Lake Gardens, Golf Green, Alipore, New Alipore, Behala-Joka belt and several neighbourhoods located off EM Bypass. These areas fall under boroughs VIII, IX, X and XII and XVI. Compared to south Kolkata, north suffered less green cover loss,” said a KMC parks department official.
A KMC parks department official said tree-cutter gangs, who were deployed across 16 boroughs, were quick to remove fallen logs and branches, but at some places, they struggled owing to waterlogging. “Our workers have been prompt at work, cutting branches and hauling away logs and leaves. As it turned dry on Tuesday, the pace of cutting trees was expedited and the civic body could remove 90% of the uprooted trees and branches,” said Debasis Kumar, MMiC overseeing the KMC parks department.
According to a civic official, to compensate for the loss, the KMC parks department will soon take up compensatory plantation and that the officials will choose the species carefully, considering the characteristic of the soil. “Large trees, like Radhachura and Krishnachura, need larger space and their roots can’t go as deep as they ideally should. We may choose weeping devdaru that will offer a large canopy but won’t fall easily,” said a KMC parks department official.