00:07A giant golden statue of football legend Lionel Messi towering above one of Kolkata's busiest roads has suddenly become a
00:15major public safety concern.
00:17Just five months after it was unveiled during Messi's highly publicised Goat India tour,
00:22authorities are now preparing to remove the 70-foot structure after engineers discovered something alarming.
00:30The statue is swaying in the wind.
00:34And now workers are racing against time to prevent a potential disaster.
00:38He is a multi-dirty city.
00:44There are two parts of the city.
00:44The building of the city has been built around the city of Sri Lanka.
00:51The building of the city has built an old building in the city of Sri Lanka.
01:03The building of the city of Sri Lanka is building a new building.
01:07local council, local, local, local, local, local,
01:12local NPA, everything is important to you.
01:15This structure is made of material.
01:19It's totally illegal.
01:21Today you understand here is an IPL board,
01:23everyone can play here and play here.
01:26If anything is wrong,
01:27it can be fully dropped to the person's know-how.
01:31In this situation, we see the person of Bidhaya Shahid,
01:44The massive structure was installed in Kolkata's Lake Town area along the busy VIP road corridor,
01:51one of the city's most crowded routes connecting traffic towards the airport.
01:56The sculpture shows Messi lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy, recreating the iconic moment
02:00after Argentina's historic triumph in Qatar.
02:05Standing nearly 70 feet tall, the golden-coloured structure instantly became a landmark after
02:10it was unveiled in December 2025.
02:13The project itself was extraordinary.
02:16Sculptor Mintu Paul and his team reportedly completed the enormous fiberglass and iron
02:22structure in just 40 days, and Messi himself officially inaugurated it during his India
02:28visit.
02:28But now, only months later, the statue has become the centre of a growing engineering
02:33crisis.
02:34According to West Bengal legislator Sharadwad Mukherjee, government engineers found the structure
02:40unsafe after noticing movement during windy conditions.
02:44Residents had reportedly raised concerns earlier this week after seeing the giant statue visibly
02:50move during strong gusts.
02:53Following those complaints, the public works department conducted an urgent structural inspection.
02:59Engineers concluded that the statue's structural integrity had been severely compromised, triggering
03:06emergency intervention plans.
03:08On Wednesday's day, dramatic scenes unfolded around the site.
03:12Workers climbed the giant structure, securing heavy-duty ropes around Messi's shoulders and waist
03:19in an attempt to stabilise it.
03:23The statue has now been tied to its base using thick nylon ropes attached at multiple points.
03:30Authorities have also barricaded the surrounding area, while one vehicular access route leading
03:36out of Lake Town has been shut down to protect pedestrians and motorists from entering what officials describe
03:42as a potential impact zone.
03:44And all of this is happening on one of Kolkata's busiest traffic corridors.
03:50But stabilising the structure is only the first challenge.
03:54Removing a 70-foot statue from a crowded urban corridor without damaging nearby infrastructure
04:00or paralysing traffic is proving incredibly difficult.
04:05According to officials, the current plan involves a delicate extraction process.
04:09First, the statue will be secured with industrial-grade cables.
04:14Then, a massive 40-ton crane will hold it in position while workers carefully cut through
04:21the iron frame near the leg supports.
04:25The goal is to lift the entire structure away in one piece.
04:29Even that, however, is proving easier said than done.
04:34Mukherjee admitted the removal operation has become a major logistical challenge, with a
04:39number of authorities trying to remove the structure at the earliest opportunity.
04:43The engineering difficulties go far beyond simply lifting the statue.
04:48PWD sources say the road behind the structure is too narrow for the giant cranes required
04:54for removal.
04:56And there is another serious concern.
04:58A subway lies just metres away from the statue's base.
05:03Officials fear that any mistake during dismantling could damage the underground structure or destabilise
05:09the surrounding area.
05:11Because of this, engineers, structural experts and sculptor Mintu Paul held emergency consultations
05:17to map out a strategy that avoids damaging both the artwork and surrounding infrastructure.
05:23At the same time, authorities are trying to ensure airport-bound traffic on VIP road is
05:28not completely disrupted during this operation.
05:32Officials are now exploring possible relocation sites for the statue, including Eco Park and
05:38Rabindra Sarobar.
05:40A final decision is expected within the next few days.
05:43Engineers are also assessing whether reducing the height of the statue's concrete base could
05:49improve stability in the future.
05:51Sources say the current plan may involve lowering the base from around 20 feet to just 5 feet when
05:58the statue is relocated.
06:00For now, however, the focus remains on safely bringing the giant structure down before any
06:06accident occurs.
06:09The controversy also highlights India's deep emotional connection with football.
06:13Even though India ranks 136th in FIFA rankings and remains a cricket powerhouse, football continues
06:20to be the country's second most popular sport.
06:24Nowhere is that passion more visible than in Kolkata, a city with one of the strongest football
06:29cultures in the country.
06:31And Messi remains one of the most beloved global sports icons, especially among Indian fans.
06:37The Argentina captain, widely expected to play in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, continues to
06:43dominate football headlines worldwide.
06:46If he appears in the tournament, it would mark a record-equalling 6th World Cup appearance
06:50for the Argentine superstar.
06:53What was meant to become a permanent tribute to one of football's greatest legends has now
06:59turned into a massive engineering headache for Kolkata authorities.
07:02For now, the giant Messi statue still stands above VIP Road, held together by ropes, surrounded
07:10by barricades, and waiting for one of the most delicate removal operations the city has seen
07:15in years.
07:16The question now is simple, can authorities safely move the giant structure before disaster strikes?
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