One of the easiest ways to draw eyeballs to one’s shop after dark is to entwine lights around a tree outside. These lights have become ubiquitous across Salt Lake footpaths and those visiting the International Kolkata Book Fair may have noticed them inside the grounds too. But electric lights harm the host plants and so the authorities have now decided to ban them.
“There were no complaints per se but we noticed these lights becoming common over the past few months. Just like it’s damaging to hammer nails into trees, these lights are harmful to the plants,” Rahima Bibi Mondal, mayor-in-council member in charge of the environment, told The Telegraph Salt Lake. “I made a proposal to the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation board to have these removed recently and it was passed.”
Councillors will now be disseminating this information across their wards. Rajesh Chirimar, councilor of Ward 39, has started by informing house owners. “Most of these lights are installed outside commercial establishments but we do not have their phone numbers. So from the first week of February, we shall send notices to house owners. We can even go door-to-door if need be. These landlords will have to convey the warning to their tenants,” he said.
A tree outside a BB Block cafe with lights wound around its trunk and bulbs hanging from branches
Thereafter the establishments will be given a week or so to pull down the lights. “If they do not comply, Corporation workers will go and do the needful,” Chirimar said. Bibi Mandal confirmed that no fine was being levied for the offence.
Mixed response
The decision is being met with mixed response from those who have employed these lights.
“These lights have become a signature look for cafes and eateries. Foodies driving past notice them and slow down their cars,” said Debasish Sarkar, manager of Hodol’s café in BB Block. The tree outside this eatery has entwined lights as well as bulbs suspended from branches. “We haven’t yet received any notice from the corporation but will act accordingly.”
Antara Saha, who runs Flower Petals in DB Block, defended the lights tooth and nail. “Every commercial outlet in Salt Lake uses those lights. Let them remove those before asking us. If people can put up banners and fliers on trees without owning them, why can’t we put up lights?
Lights on multiple trees on a DB Block footpath
Am I to erect a new stand to fix lights now?” asked the proprietor who, ironically, runs a flower shop. Amit Kedia, a partner at the Story of Beans café near the stadium’s gate 2, said he was a nature lover. “We have planted a coconut tree outside the café and grow seasonal flowers too. The lights we use are top quality LEDs that do not heat up the tree trunk,” he showed by touching the trunk between the rows of lights. “We would never do anything to harm the environment.”
Trees harmed
Botanist Sandip Kumar Basak begs to differ. “These lights are terrible for the trees’ physiology. Besides the heat, the electric flow from the wires messes up the plant’s conduction system. This is the system that pumps water and nutrients throughout the plant,” said the AB Block resident. “And not just the tree. Artificial lights affect the circadian rhythm in birds and other mammals like bats and squirrels that live in the tree. This is the natural internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle in animals. Just the way we are comfortable shutting lights when going to bed, animals need darkness to rest too,” Basak said. “If the length of their perceived days and nights are altered, it can affect their reproductive lives.” The book fair grounds have seen trees decorated with lights for several years now. This year there were at least 14 such trees at the periphery, walking straight into gate 3. The repercussions must have been all the more grave here since this stretch was a shared boundary with Banabitan, that is home to a number of birds and small animals.
Success story
Till a few years ago, it was commonplace to see bills and posters nailed to trees. In recent times, however, this is hardly visible anymore. The Corporation claims credit for this. “This nuisance too, had become rampant in our area and around three years ago we started a campaign against this,” said Bibi Mandal. “We began announcing the ban on mics and asked residents to stay alert and stop anyone from nailing trees in the neighbourhood. There was no way to punish offenders, as they would nail them on the sly and vanish. We could never catch them.” Whenever Corporation workers spot something nailed to a tree now, they spread the word around that it must be removed in three days. “If no action is taken by the advertiser, our workers pull it off themselves,” said the mayor-in-council member.
