Yesterday, we put up a "Visit Again" sign on this blank signboard gantry. It has a folk art theme and reminds the departing tourist of images of Bengal. It was designed by Hidco's creative agency Crayons. A snap taken yesterday morning:
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The Kite festival was held in Eco Park yesterday. This was organised by the District Magistrate North 24-Paraganas Sanjay Bansal who'd invited me to attend. In spite of the rains, the large kites, Chandrabindu's songs, presence of stars like Locket Chatterjee, Rachana Banerjee , WasimKapoor, Kanchan Mullick etc drew a great deal of applause. Visitors of the Eco Park who were regular tourists started dancing to the tune of Chandrabindu and requested for weekly performances at Eco Park.
Two photos:
Here is a cutting from today's Anandabazar:
Here is a clipping from today's Khabar 365:
The visit again sign is a good idea. This kind of art-work can also be done on blank walls of buildings and on the boundary walls. Also, it would be wonderful to have this kind of art-work and paintings and frescoes on the road dividers, though you have already mentioned earlier that the road dividers become very dirty. Also, the footpaths can also be made like this, i.e. using different coloured tiles to make designs on the footpaths. It could be made in places like the area near Victoria Memorial, The Indian Museum, in the Esplanade are and other placed like that.
ReplyDeleteJust an addition to what Mr. Garick Mazumdar said, for Footpaths, Rio's Beachfront pedestrian paving can be seen for reference. As for frescoes and the median beautification it would be more appreciated if these would include traditional installations of Terracota from Bankura or Patchitra of Kalighat as in the walls of City Center, SLC, Chau masked figurines, Creative Clay figurines, Owls, etc that are exhibitedin the Bengal Handicrafts Mela.
ReplyDeleteVery good point Aritra and Gairick. I do not why footpath has been a traditionally neglected area in the mindset of our town planners. It ould be great if we can have terracota installations in the pavements like the way we had sculptures installed in select places of New Town.
DeleteIf you look at the new areas developed all along Behala, Garia, EMByepass and almost all possible unplanned areas, our town-planners never thought of keeping a provision of footpath when approving building plans. In fact in independent idea, our politicians actively encouraged footpath encroachment by hawkers and we know that happened in New Town.
Sir, can we have a modification of town planning act, so that we have at least a road width of 35-40 feet in new areas of urbanization and 6-8 feet of pavements on both sides of road. This will help to keep a better look and feel for areas in and around New Town which are outside the jurisdiction of HIDCO.
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ReplyDeleteSir, this is in context to the recent events of Andal Airport and Cabinet Approval of over Rs. 5K Crore for ADKIC. Incidentally as ADKIC’s 150 Km catchment around the Frieght Corridor includes the Industrial Belt of Burdwan from Chittaranjan to Andal, I believe it would be really good if the Govt. acts in lines of the GIFT project as in the case of DMIC done there and also conceive a State promoted pet Industrial Corridor from Kolkata to Kharagpur via Haldia and Sagar Port in the lines of the Dholera Special Investment Region.
ReplyDeleteI understand land is an issue here unlike Gujarat, but with development of small parks in the first phase and promotion of the benefits achieved to the locals can help acquire larger land chunks in the next phase. Plus this way the New Kolkata Industrial Development Project which is remaining idle for so long can be rekindled. I would also like to ask you to see into the utilisation of the Nayachar land and help it remain physically intact by technologies used by Singapore in their Jurong Islands by land reclamation process. With these large Industrial Project towns, they together can create a Counter Magnet for Kolkata in terms of population growth and this way can compliment to the Capital City’s Economic Resurgence.
Once these projects get firm grounds, export – import trade in the neighbouring countries will increase, this in return will give the much needed phillip to Kolkata Port Trust and also spring this region as SAARC regions Logistic and Trade Hub.
The idea is to slowly and steadily promote Kolkata as an important city for SAARC countries and eventually for ASEAN countries. This is in relation to make the city the seat for all diplomatic exchange in these forums. A city with this responsibility, will avail enough international and national funds to sustain and develop. Plus Indian Government can always be wooed by giving them the prospect that the seat of power in these forums is in their own country, whereas other countries can be impressed by the fact that instead of Delhi or Mumbai, Kolkata will have relatively less Indian Government influence and at the same time is strategically positioned near most member nations, as in an impartial location.
I would even ask you to consider bidding to provide space in International Finance Hub of New Town of the BRIC nation's Development Bank that is being conceived by the member nations, as this will automatically bring other institutions in the IFH, New Town. Also the Diplomatic Enclave planned in New Town will receive interests to get land by newer countries.
Nicely put Aritra. Raghunathpur Industrial Zone as well as the cluster planned between Durgapur and Raghunathpur should be developed with a sense of urgency.
DeleteAs far as Finance Hub in New Town is concerned, I do not know how much we can grow a brand new finance hub without the International Finance Services Centre (IFSC) status. Something has to really catchy to attract investors community. We cannot have RBI or SBI shift its headquarters in New Town. At least we should start with an IFSC status like what finance hub in Gujrat is trying.
http://www.nbmcw.com/interviews/30445-gift-sets-to-transform-indias-image-in-global-arena.html
The problem of W.B. is that in terms of size it is a small state and in terms of population it is a big state, i.e. population pressure is very high here. Also, the land here is fertile than the other states. So, it becomes really difficult to get land easily. Also, its not a wise thing to make industrial zones in this fertile area. The government is now looking more towards the west of the state for development and it is a good idea. The western districts of the state are not so fertile and have remained backward. The population pressures in this part is also quite less. This will solve a few of the problems like that of getting land easily. Though there may be other problems like supplying enough water to the industries and to the people living there. But, by any means developing industries in that area will eventually be fruitful. But, the government will have to build a lot of infrastructure in that area like proper connecting roads. The fertile area of the state should mainly be used to setup agro-based industry. This will also help the farmers in that area and will encourage more people to do farming. Everything is easier said than done, but our state has now got a lot of good people and surely we will see progress in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteWell said
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