Leaf-burning at park pollutes Kolkata’s Bhowanipore
Times of India | 19 March 2025
Kolkata: A conservancy worker was spotted burning dry leaves at Bhowanipore's Ladies Park (Southern Park) around 10 am on Monday, leading to air pollution in the surrounding locality. During this season, numerous deciduous trees shed leaves from late Feb through mid-March, resulting in substantial daily accumulation. Waste collectors often find this overwhelming and resort to burning leaves to avoid multiple trips to compactor stations.
When a local fitness enthusiast asked the worker — who identified himself as Kedar Nayek — about the incident, the latter said he had dumped two carts of leaves but chose to burn the another lot. Local resident and car dealer Madhukar Roy, who regularly exercises in the park with his wife Jayshreeprabha, was concerned about the environment. "Such an act that will pollute environment cannot be tolerated. We are forced to return home, cutting short our daily workout schedule," he said.
The historic park serves as a vital green space in Bhowanipore, bordered by Ramesh Mitra Road, Townshend Road, and Rammoy Road. Suvomoy Mitra, an artist residing in an adjacent building, said: " The shredded leaves enrich the soil. It is silly to burn the leaves in open space instead of proper disposal. This is suffocating for residents, like us, who stay nearby," Sanjay Mishra, who uses the park as a route to his office, claimed to have suffered breathing issues as he inhaled the acrid air filled with smoke.
The leaf burning persisted for over an hour. Local environmentalist Ranajit Chakravarty raised concerns as ‘burning of leaves contributes to air pollution by releasing particulate matter, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and other harmful pollutants' and poses risks to human health and the environment. The staff at solid waste management department office within the park claimed to be unaware of the incident.