Roads bear the scar: Holika Dahan damages top layer at many spots

Kolkata: The traditional bonfire ritual, held on the eve of Holi across Kolkata, has caused substantial damage to road surfaces due to the intense heat that the fire generated.
The practice, known as Chanchor, Nyara Pora or Holika Dahan, was performed across the city and left the bituminous layer of the roads in small lanes as well as major roads scarred. These include C R Avenue, Bidhan Sarani, S N Banerjee Road, B B Ganguly Street, Ganesh Chandra Avenue, CIT Road, and Sarat Bose Road.
These damaged sections are likely to deteriorate further when it rains. "A huge number of discarded wooden furniture and plywoods were set on fire with the help of diesel and rubber tubes on the night before Dol. These fires continued to burn for two hours. The intense heat that was generated defaced the top layer of the roads," said Madan Mohan Mukhopadhay, a resident of Doctor's Lane.
The recently renovated S N Banerjee Road shows damage at seven locations. Tourist areas such as Sudder Street, Kyd Street and Marquis Street have sustained significant scarring from these bonfires. "On the stretch of Sarat Bose Road, there were at least six major crossings where the bonfires not only damaged the road surfaces but also led to pollution due to the burning of huge amount of woods, dry biomass, cow dung and discarded tyres," said Somendra Mohan Ghosh, an environmental activist and a local.
"Tyre burning releases a wide array of pollutants into the air, including particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide," Ghosh added.
The March 13 bonfires in areas like Bhowanipur, Burrabazar, Bagbazar, Gariahat, and M G Road have severely damaged concrete manhole covers. "It is a recent trend to witness local political leaders also participating in Holika Dahan on streets as part of their community participation programme which encourages the organizers in arranging it in bigger spaces every year," said Biresh Majumdar, a resident of Hatibagan.
Road safety specialists suggest using protective insulation layers with clay bricks and sand to preserve the road surface during these traditional celebrations.