Uprooted trees cleared, govt in full gear to bring back rhythm
Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) completed removing all the tree trunks from city's main roads as well as the lanes and by lanes that got uprooted by the super cyclone Amphan on May 20.
The city is looking as clean as it used to look before the cyclone and anybody coming to Kolkata will not be able to understand the trauma through which the city underwent as an aftermath of the cyclone.
The worst hit part of the city between Gol Park and Sarat Bose Road- AJC Bose Road intersection via Southern Avenue where nearly 50 trees got uprooted during the cyclone. The KMC had cleared the roads by removing the branches that had blocked traffic movement within 48 hours of the devastation. The leaves and the debris were cleared on Saturday afternoon. The conservancy workers began cleaning the stretch that goes to Lake Gardens railway station from Sarat Bose Road-Southern Avenue intersection. The conservancy workers round the clock are clearing the lanes and by lanes and sweeping the roads. They maintained physical distancing and carried out the job.
Firhad Hakim, chairman, board of administrators thanked the civic workers along with those working in Public Works department (PWD) and other state government departments whose tireless service has helped the city to get back its original rhythm. The biggest challenge now is to restore the internet connection. There are one crore subscribers across Bengal of which 40 lakhs stay in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA). Apurba Bhattacharya, Cable Operators Sangram Committee said 70 per cent internet connection has been restored in the 16 affected districts but connection has yet to be restored in the remaining 30 per cent areas. In KMA 80 per cent to 90 per cent connections have been restored.
He said Hakim had instructed the cable operators to do away with the unwanted wires. More time is being taken to segregate the wires and this is taking more time for restoration. Moreover, specially trained people are required to fix the wires. He said that around 10 days will be taken to restore internet connection in all areas.
The cable operators are working round to check the condition of the wires that got snapped. "We will have to find how much of the wires can be used and how much will have to discard. It is a time consuming job. With more lockdown relaxations we hope that the shops selling the wires will open and we will not face any problem in getting the supply," said Loknath Das, a cable operator in south Kolkata.