Trees in city bear brunt of pre-puja slash-&-clear drive
Times of India | 10 September 2025
Kolkata: As Durga Puja approaches, trees have once again started facing the axe — hacked mercilessly to clear space for billboards and hoardings. The unscientific lopping, often done from just one side, leaves trees dangerously unbalanced and vulnerable to gusty winds.
Environmentalists warn that this practice is one of the main reasons so many trees are uprooted during early winter cyclones.
"Many of these billboards are made of banned plastic and vinyl, adding another layer of environmental damage," said Ajay Mitta, a climate warrior. Organisers and advertisers continue to prioritise visibility and profit over sustainability, incentivised by the revenue stream advertisements bring to puja committees.
The unscientific trimming results in a significant loss of canopy. "Uneven lopping disrupts natural balance and weakens trees; whatever little wildlife we have gets displaced. Birds, squirrels, and small animals lose their homes and pollution spikes," said Sourav De, a biodiversity advocate and film festival director. Vinyl and plastic hoardings often end up at landfill sites, polluting land and water. Puja committees bypass both civic rules and court orders.
For many residents, the loss is deeply personal. "I was heartbroken when a tall tree was cut down to half in just minutes. It took 25 years to grow that canopy — the same age as my son. With him abroad, the tree felt like his presence," said Jyotirmoy Sarkar (name changed), a resident of Roy Bahadur Road in Behala.
From Hindustan Park, Miranda Chatterjee shared her anguish: "Every year, these people attack our trees, chopping branches that aren't blocking anything.
They cut arrogantly, claiming they have orders. My favourite krishnachura was hacked in front of me. I screamed in helpless anger."
The Calcutta High Court has intervened several times, even ordering errant committees to plant 50 saplings as a penalty for illegal felling. But enforcement remains weak. Bonani Kakkar of People United for Better Living in Calcutta (PUBLIC) drew a stark analogy: "If my one hand and one leg are chopped off, I may survive, but I cannot stand.
Trees face the same fate. With concrete choking their roots, one cyclone is enough to uproot them.
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Green activist Subhas Datta added: "In villages, cyclones uproot far fewer trees than in Kolkata or Howrah. Here, the hacking makes them weak. I feel claustrophobic because of the all-pervasive hoardings and festoons."
Some residents and puja organisers are turning to "green pujas," while KMC urges citizens to lodge online complaints about illegal lopping. However, activists warn that without vigilance and accountability, the city's urban forest may not withstand the assault of the festive season.