11 months after Cal HC order, KMC razes Garia clock tower

Kolkata: Eleven months after the Calcutta High Court ordered its removal, the Garia clock tower — which was constructed on a club playground — was brought down by a massive crane on Thursday.The clock tower stood in what is locally known as the Mitali Sangha Khelar Math. The Mitali Sangha club, which maintains the ground, moved the high court in 2024, alleging that the clock tower was illegal and should be demolished. The high court directed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to investigate and submit a report. The KMC informed the court that the tower was indeed built illegally, though it noted that there appeared to be infighting in the club regarding the structure. In June 2025, the high court ordered the KMC to demolish the tower.The KMC first attempted to demolish the clock tower on Aug 25 last year but was unsuccessful. On Thursday, it was finally brought down."This tower did not contribute anything positive to the development of the area; instead, it occupied a large portion of the club ground. We are happy that it has finally been demolished," said local resident Madhurita Chanda."The local councillor installed the clock tower in 2023 on the club ground without our permission. Since then, the club has faced several obstacles in organising sports tournaments. The club approached the court in 2024 and obtained an order to dismantle the tower, but it could not be implemented at that time. Following the change in regime, the tower was finally dismantled," said Ashish Naskar, vice president of Mitali Sangha club.