Kolkata's towering tribute to football star Lionel Messi, the 64-foot Monumento De Messi in Lake Town, is set to be removed just six months after its unveiling. A police complaint was registered alleging the structure sways dangerously during strong winds, triggering safety fears among residents.
Statue Details and Inauguration
The 44-foot giant statue, made of fibreglass supported by an iron framework on a 20-foot concrete plinth, was inaugurated by Messi himself on December 13 last year during his GOAT India Tour. The statue was commissioned by Sreebhumi Sporting Club, patronised by former fire minister Sujit Bose.
Engineering Concerns
A PWD official who inspected the statue on Monday stated, "The statue's feet have not been properly balanced. That is an engineering problem. Because of that, the statue is swaying, especially during strong winds. The structure may become unstable and topple. So it should be removed." Officials explained that a framework using a bolt-and-angle system was installed over a 25 mm iron sheet structure, topped with another iron layer. The outer surface was sculpted using fibreglass, while the inner supporting structure was built with cast iron.
Permission Issues
The PWD authorities also raised questions regarding permissions linked to the installation. "It was PWD land, but no NOC was taken. The former minister used his influence to build the structure on this land," an official said.
Community Action and Decision
The development comes two days after another iconic statue in the city, the Football Man structure outside Salt Lake stadium, was demolished on Saturday. According to police, a group of morning walkers first raised the issue about the swaying statue on Monday. They filed a complaint at the Lake Town police station, after which a meeting was called by the South Dum Dum Municipality executive officer, with cops and PWD officials present. It was decided that the statue will be removed.
A 65-year-old resident of Lake Town said, "The statue indeed sways during strong winds. We have noticed it on a number of occasions and had raised the issue with the club authorities as well, but they never paid any heed."
Sculptor's Perspective
Constructed in 40 days, the massive installation was created by a 45-member team of local artisans led by sculptor Monty Paul. Paul, while agreeing that the statue does sway, assured that it was never unsafe. "Since the statue is made of fibreglass and stands on two legs, it was built in a manner that it would sway to balance against strong winds and earthquakes. It is like a tree that may bend but will not get uprooted just like that. If the authorities believe it is unsafe, they can contact me and I can still fix its swing," said Paul.
