Kolkata: The pre-puja advertising rush has left several roadside trees along Sahapur Road and Tollygunge Circular Road severely hacked on one side, allegedly to improve visibility for flex banners and hoardings, triggering warnings from environmentalists that the lopsided trees could become vulnerable even during moderate storms. Green crusaders said this is the story in every neighbourhood.Residents and green activists said branches have been cut indiscriminately by contract labourers engaged by outdoor advertising agencies. In many cases, substantial portions of the canopy were removed from only one side of the trees, disturbing their natural balance.Environmentalists said such pruning is both unsightly and structurally dangerous. A tree whose crown has been heavily removed on one side can become asymmetrical, increasing stress on the trunk and root system when exposed to strong winds.Bonani Kakkar of PUBLIC said indiscriminate cutting of roadside trees for commercial visibility was unacceptable. “You cannot hack a tree according to the convenience of a hoarding. When branches are removed heavily from one side, the tree becomes lopsided and vulnerable to wind. Pruning has to be scientific and supervised by people who understand tree architecture,” she said.Green crusader Subhas Datta said the episode reflected a recurring conflict between commercial advertising and urban greenery. “Trees cannot be treated as obstacles to advertisements. If an agency has damaged them for better visibility of its flex or hoarding, the agency must be identified and held accountable. The civic body should immediately inspect the stretch and assess the condition of the affected trees,” Datta said.Environmentalist S M Ghosh said the practice could turn healthy roadside trees into potential hazards. “The crown and root system of a tree function as a balanced structure. Random cutting disturbs that balance. When a gust hits the heavier side of such a tree, the pressure on the trunk and roots can increase sharply,” Ghosh said.Naba Dutta of Sabuj Mancha said the concern was particularly serious before puja, when temporary advertisements multiply across the city. “This cannot become an annual pre-puja ritual. We need a city-wide protocol, under which no private contractor can touch a roadside tree without permission and technical supervision. Otherwise, we are creating tomorrow’s tree-fall hazards today,” he said.KMC’s advertisement rules are explicit on the issue. Its 2022 policy states that advertisement structures must not damage, cut or otherwise harm trees, and says that if a tree is damaged or trimmed for better visibility of a hoarding, the advertisement can be taken down and the advertiser asked to show cause.The KMC website also tells advertisers not to trim obstructing branches themselves and instead approach the parks and squares department, warning that unauthorised trimming can lead to cancellation of licence.
