Kolkata: Early on Wednesday morning, thick black smoke engulfed a stretch of Paddapukur Road in upscale Ballygunge Circular Road neighbourhood after waste that had been dumped there was set ablaze. Last autumn, similar incidents of waste and leaf burning had left locals harassed. Such incidents had ceased after vigilance increased.
Ward 69 councillor Dilip Kumar Bose, who was unaware of the incident till late afternoon, attributed it to a mysterious homeless person with mental health concerns. Local residents said rag pickers from a nearby slum deliberately cause this nuisance in the early hours.
"I woke up around 7.30 am on getting a strong smell of burning waste," said Jagganath Dutta, who stays opposite the dump yard at his century-old residence. "It was found there were mostly dry leaves along with styrofoam and plastic materials that were set to fire purposely," he added. The 80-metre stretch along Baba Saheb Ambedkar Education University's boundary wall has turned into an unofficial dumping ground for waste from nearby Ballygunge and parts of Bhowanipur. "I was walking down the street with my 8-year-old son when the strong easterly winds fanning the flames and smoke caused discomfort," said Monojit Goswami.
"This particular stretch has recently turned into an eyesore," said Manish Jhunjhunwala, who lives in a multi-storied apartment on the road. Residents complain that rubbish accumulates for over four days before KMC workers arrive to clear it. "It is difficult to track who is dumping the garbage on the road late at night," said Bose, who also assured to transform the place into a roadside garden.