Green cover: Around 105 trees transplanted at Rabindra Sarobar
Kolkata: The tireless effort of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) to restore Rabindra Sarobar that got devastated by the super cyclone Amphan has been crowned with success with transplantation of 105 trees and residential birds coming back to the area.
A total of 160 tall trees had been uprooted. The cyclone with wind speed varying anything between 135 km per hour to 140 km per hour hit Kolkata on May 20 afternoon. It took a heavy toll and the extent of damage was estimated at around Rs 1.5 crore. Big trees that included Krishnachura, Radhachura, Kadam, Bakul, Banyan, Bottle Brush got uprooted. Thirty iron grills each covering 100 meters length along with 12 fencing and 10 lamp posts had been badly damaged. The iron gates at the entrance were damaged heavily and 100 CCTV cameras became non functional.
A senior KMDA official said 105 long trees have been transplanted. They had been given medicine and treated by experts. All of them have shown signs of life. Work is on to find out whether another 55 trees that got uprooted could be transplanted.
The KMDA has decided to carry out pruning twice in a year and campaign will be launched to make the people aware of the method. "There are morning walkers who oppose pruning apprehending that this would cause harm to the tree. But if pruning is done, then the chances of the trees getting uprooted due to storm or cyclone become thin," the official said. Residential birds have come back to the area. Sudip Ghosh, a bird lover and a nature enthusiast who visited the area on Saturday said " It is good that the residential birds are coming. I saw many Common Moyena, Black Crown Night Herron, Kingfisher and Wood packers. It shows that the whole Rabindra Sarobar area is coming back to life."
Rabindra Sarobar lake, the biggest artificial water body covering an area of 30 hectares was set up by the Calcutta Improvement Trust ( CIT) in the late 1930s. It was named after Tagore during the brad's birth centenary in 1961. KMDA had developed the area installing decorative lamps, wide pathways with paver blocks and benches for the morning walkers.
