Trees lining VIP Road are either getting uprooted or tilting towards Kestopur canal. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

The two-km stretch of VIP Road, between Kestopur and Durgapur bridge, stands the risk of being damaged by subsidence. The process has been accelerated by the pumping-out of accumulated rainwater from Lake Town, Dum Dum Park and Bangur Avenue.

Public works department (PWD) officials are yet to assess the extent of damage that subsidence could cause to any portion of the road.

“Once the monsoon is over, we assess the damage caused to a road and repair it accordingly. It’s true that the road was damaged in some areas, such as Kestopur, which we repaired temporarily,” said A. Banerjee, a senior PWD official supervising the area.

An initial inspection shows that the stretch between Dum Dum Park and Golaghata has become weak.

“The rule book prescribes that a land mass of at least 15 ft must be present between a road and flowing water. Kestopur canal is scouring the soil and has come much closer to the road,” said a PWD official.

A portion of the road had subsided near Kestopur in July as the canal was flowing just beside the road on that stretch. “That stretch is still in a precarious condition as an overhaul is yet to be undertaken,” the official said.

PWD officials have noticed that several large trees close to the road have been either uprooted or bent towards the canal. “This indicates the topsoil in those areas has become loose,” the official added.

“The soil layer near the pump at Golaghata has been considerably loosened owing to regular pumping out of water from the area. Now, as hundreds of cusecs of water will flow into Bangur over the road, it will definitely affect the road,” said another official.