Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Ferries Wheel Location Hunt

The ideal location for Ferries Wheel or Kolkata Eye is still being evaluated. We have a meeting with all respondents of an EOI floated earlier next Wednesday which will be presided over by Minister Hakim. ILFS will make a presentation. We are considering a site on the Howrah side, diagonally opposite to the Millennium Park as well as Millennium Park site. Even New Town's Eco Park may be a probable option. Each site has its plus and minus. We'll have to see how the investors feel.
Today morning, I visited the Howrah site along with KMDA and ILFS. A photo on my camera:
Howrah Riverfront Near Vidyasagae Setu
Inset: Site for Kolkata Eye?
* * *
A large Chennai-based large Financial Institution came to meet me today to enquire about New Town Financial Hub. Their only request was that they should be allotted the plot within this Financial Year as they were reluctant to wait till the next Financial Year. I advised them to apply obeying formalities in the first place. 
A nationalised bank met me last week and told me of their eagerness to invest in the Financial Hub.
* * *
Here is a clipping from Bartaman that appeared few days ago:

* * *
And a clipping from Ekdin:

5 comments:

  1. One suggestion for the Kolkata Eye project. Instead of making a giant Ferries wheel, I think it will be better to build it like a roller coaster.
    In a ferries wheel the whole ring moves and in the case of giant ferries this becomes a very difficult thing to build and cost goes up very much as it requires very high-end technology. What I am suggesting here is that the giant ring i.e. the wheel could be kept stationery and it could be used as a rail on which the pods will actually move. I will be just a very slow moving roller coaster with a lot of small cars. The cars or pods can be designed in various ways. All the pods will move together so they will be always at a same distance from one another.
    As roller coaster technology is much more prevalent and many big roller coasters have been built all over the world, so, it may be more cost effective to build. Infact there may be many bidders for the project. This, I think, will also be much faster to build and the maintenance cost will definitely be much less. It won't look much different and will provide the same experience.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kolkata Eye at Eco Park makes it convenient for visitors and will attract more foreign guests compared to if it is installed at other two proposed location. As an signature project of Newtown near Airport, it will have huge simpact on marketability of Kolkata and Newtown to be specific as destination of global investors. Should check with AAI first so that they do not play a spoil sport later.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear Sir,
    Following are my comments.
    1. Technology to be used should be same as its running in other places like London, Paris and Singapore etc. We should not look at cost cutting for a master piece but make it as best attraction of Kolkata and bring Kolkata on par with other international cities.
    2. Location should be a place which is part of other tourist destination. Should not be placed at any isolated and remote location.
    3.It should be part of cluster of tourist attraction to attract most number of local and outsider tourist. And one of best location Kolkata.
    4. New town is developed as next generation office destination with other small scale facilities and we shouldn't mix it with major tourist attractions.
    5. Kolkata eye should be part of Riverfront development on Kolkata side to beautify our city and easily accessibile for visitors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with Anjan...Kolkata Eye should be a part of riverfront development....and lets develop New Town along with all the Neighbouring Mouzas as a next generation finance and technology hub as well as a residential hub. There is enough of things to be done in New Town.... if one travels from Bhojerhaat to Chinar Park via Vedic Village through the PWD road....it seems like the places are trapped in a time machine ....may be a century away from modern civilization.... lets not have tourism in New Town...

      Howrah is quite a bit unplanned and in a pretty bad shape...as far as infrastructure is concerned....for an outsider ( forget foreigners, even for people from outside the state) visiting Kolkata itself is a shocking experience with so much filth and dust and the jhupris in VIP Road and EM Byepass...lets not further torture him by making him visit Howrah...

      Lets have Kolkata Eye in Strand Road itself.....

      Financial company from Chennai...expressing interest...this is really a fantastic news.....lets have big names from pvt sector....and names from outside the state....Sir....any news about the delegation from London?

      Delete
  4. Sir, Just now read in Bartaman ( today's edition) that alternate connection to Jessore Road has been made from Akangkha More jointly by HIDCO and PWD. Thanks a lot Sir. I was surprised that you did not put up this news clip.

    Also they came out with a clip that underground sewerage of South Dum Dum Municipality will be made by UD and it will be put under fresh proposals of JNNURM.

    Now, this is really high time that we think of something for alternate connectivity of New Town with South Kolkata as well as develop the PWD road connecting Bhojerhaat and Bantala IT Park.

    ReplyDelete