Kolkata, June 2 : The 70-foot statue of Argentine football star Lionel Messi that stood in the Lake Town area has been dismantled and removed by the Public Works Department (PWD) after it was found to be structurally unstable.
The statue was taken down on Monday, June 1, following concerns that the towering monument had become a safety hazard. Officials said the structure was visibly swaying during recent storms, prompting urgent action ahead of the monsoon season.
Concerns about the statue’s stability were first raised when local residents alerted the Lake Town police station that it was shaking during strong winds. A joint inspection by police and PWD staff followed. According to officials, the contractor reported faults in the statue’s foundation bolts and warned that the structure was dangerous and at risk of collapse.
The statue stood above an underground pedestrian crossing on the VIP Road stretch of Lake Town, a location with heavy commuter and vehicle traffic. Authorities said the risk to pedestrians and road users was too high to ignore, particularly with wetter weather expected in the coming weeks.
The removal was carried out using hydraulic cranes, heavy-duty cables and scaffolding. Engineers lowered the fibreglass figure from its 20-foot concrete plinth without causing further damage. The statue has since been moved into PWD custody and is reportedly being stored at a warehouse in Baguiati.
There has been no official announcement on where the statue will be re-erected. Reports suggest it could be relocated to Rabindra Sarobar or Eco Park, but a final decision rests with the state government.
The monument had a brief presence in the city. It was unveiled in December last year during Messi’s GOAT Tour of India and was commissioned by the Sreebhumi Sporting Club. The statue, which depicted Messi holding the FIFA World Cup trophy, was reportedly built in about 40 days. Messi virtually inaugurated the statue, with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan joining the celebrations.
Its removal, less than six months after the unveiling, marks an abrupt end to its time in public view. Fans now await a decision on whether and where the statue will be installed again.
