<p>A 70-foot-tall statue of Argentine football star<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/lionel-messi"> Lionel Messi</a> was recently removed from Lake Town in Kolkata due to being structurally unstable following recent storms.</p><p>The statue was dismantled from its pedestal and loaded onto a truck using a hydraulic crane without any damage.</p><p>Rumours suggest it could be installed at Rabindra Sarobar or Eco Park, pending a final decision from the state government. </p> .FIFA World Cup 2026 | Lionel Messi injury update: Fitness not that bad, says Argentina coach Scaloni .<p>The statue will remain in the PWD's custody, and there has been no official announcement regarding where it will be re-erected.</p>.<p>Rumours suggest it could be installed at Rabindra Sarobar or Eco Park, pending a final decision from the state government.</p>.<p>Concerns regarding the statue's stability were first raised a few days ago when locals alerted the Lake Town police station that it was swaying during storms.</p>.<p>Following an inspection by police and PWD staff, the contractor reported faults in the statue's "foundation bolts" and warned authorities that the structure was dangerous and at risk of collapse.</p>.<p>The statue was unveiled last December during Messi's visit to Kolkata, where the player inaugurated the monument via remote control.</p>.<p>The project was spearheaded by former state minister Sujit Bose, who was recently arrested by the ED in connection with a municipal recruitment scam. </p><p><em>(with PTI inputs)</em></p>
<p>A 70-foot-tall statue of Argentine football star<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/lionel-messi"> Lionel Messi</a> was recently removed from Lake Town in Kolkata due to being structurally unstable following recent storms.</p><p>The statue was dismantled from its pedestal and loaded onto a truck using a hydraulic crane without any damage.</p><p>Rumours suggest it could be installed at Rabindra Sarobar or Eco Park, pending a final decision from the state government. </p> .FIFA World Cup 2026 | Lionel Messi injury update: Fitness not that bad, says Argentina coach Scaloni .<p>The statue will remain in the PWD's custody, and there has been no official announcement regarding where it will be re-erected.</p>.<p>Rumours suggest it could be installed at Rabindra Sarobar or Eco Park, pending a final decision from the state government.</p>.<p>Concerns regarding the statue's stability were first raised a few days ago when locals alerted the Lake Town police station that it was swaying during storms.</p>.<p>Following an inspection by police and PWD staff, the contractor reported faults in the statue's "foundation bolts" and warned authorities that the structure was dangerous and at risk of collapse.</p>.<p>The statue was unveiled last December during Messi's visit to Kolkata, where the player inaugurated the monument via remote control.</p>.<p>The project was spearheaded by former state minister Sujit Bose, who was recently arrested by the ED in connection with a municipal recruitment scam. </p><p><em>(with PTI inputs)</em></p>
