Kolkata to have riverside quay like Singapore

A Singapore-like riverside quay may soon become a reality in Kolkata. The State Government has taken up a beautification plan on the lines of Clarke Quay in Singapore along the Kestopur canal.

Starting from Chitpur lock gate in Central Kolkata, the canal – now heavily silted and locally known as Pocha Khal – runs parallel to the VIP Road aka Nazrul Islam Sarani, connecting the airport to the city, before heading towards the wetland further North East.

To be built as a tourist destination, the quay will have an array of amenities such as pavers’ blocks, amusement park, and shopping kiosks. Small boats will also pass through the canal to facilitate waterway transport and conducted tours.

The Urban Development Department has also taken initiatives to speed up works to divert all the sewer lines falling into the canal, meant to be an important irrigation channel.

“We will build a quay like in Singapore along the Kestopur canal. We hope to start the project by August,” Mr Firhad Hakim, the State Urban Development and Town and Country Planning Minister, told Business Line .

The Rs 3-crore project will be developed jointly by the Kolkata Municipal Development Authority (KMDA), Bidhannagar Municipality and Techno India, he added.

According to Mr Vivek Bharadwaj, Chief Executive Officer, KMDA, an expression of interest has been issued for appointing a consultant for preparing a detailed project report for the desiltation of the canal. The desiltation project will come under the National Ganga River Basin Authority.

The bids for this are expected to be opened by Friday, Mr Bharadwaj said.

In order to stop the sewerage water flow into the canal, plans are also underway by the urban development department to set up water treatment plants using the sewerage water.

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