The pumping station has gone several phases of development. Once the roof while being cast collapsed and a worker lost his life. Getting power was becoming an issue till I spoke to Additional Chief Secretary of Power Department, Mr Gopal Krishna, who very promptly helped. I myself had held several site visits and review to ensure that the commissioning date did not slip again.
Here is a cutting from Ekdin:
I went today with Surinder Kumar IAS, CEO KMDA, Chunar De PD, Arun Chakraborty CE to inspect the progress of the walkway on the Hoogly Riverfront for which several elevated walkways have to be done. The work was virtually complete and I recalled the discussions in Floatel with its owner for allowing KMDA to construct the elevated walkway across it. Here is a photo on my mobile:
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| Elevated walkway far away: Floatel and Hoogly on the left |
Hoogly Riverfront is a nice update. An update after a long time which is NOT related to Newtown. Sir, it would be great if you can share the updates related to JNNURM Projects. March 2014 deadline is nearing and in my recent visit to Kolkata I saw some progress in some of the projects (after a six month gap of onset of monsoon in June to Bhaiphota) but still we are no where near 75% completion in the following:
ReplyDelete1. BRTS Project
2. EM Byepass connector to Baruipur
3. Kamalgazi flyover
4. Flyover from Parama to Park Circus
5. Distribution network for Dhapa Water Plant
6. Kalyani expressway
I know there are issues related to funding but even after 2 year extension that YOU managed to convince the Central Govt (kudos for that), I think it will be a bad mark for the state if we cannot reach 75-80% mark.
Riverfront is also a big ticket investment and I think we need to monetise it. If we compare with Thames walkway, we need to build a series of eateries, pubs, bars, watersports all along the walkways which would generate adequate money for the state Govt. A long flyover all along congested Strand Road with a restoration of the heritage buildings with eateries and pubs in the ground floor will be a big draw for the tourists.
Recently I have came across the progress report on 21'th Nov, 2013 of the JNNURM Projects in kma and Asansol. Only 17-18 project have been commissioned till date among around 70 projects. All the delayed projects may have been suffered from different problems. But please sir make ensure at-least 35-40 projects become commissioned within the dateline of march '14. It is very hard to achieve but hope for the best.
DeleteMay be one problem is the late submission of DPR (detail project report ) in this time. But for JNNURUM 2 please take initiative to submit the DPR as early as possible so that we can have more time to complete the new projects.
kudos for commissioning Jatragachi pumping station.
I second Abhisekh on all the points except one regarding the construction of flyover on Strand Road. This would mar the architectural splendour of the area. I believe a different alternative can be opted for that.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree Aritra - a flyover on Strand road would become an eyesore on the waterfront - perhaps a one way 2-lane tunnel can be built instead, to speed up traffic and reduce congestion on the surface street. Car parking is also difficult in the area - some of the new renovation around the area should include provision of underground car parking space.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree with Sudipta and Aritra. A flyover on Strand Road. I thought about it for the sake of decongestion but now I realise it will be bad. May be an underground road, may be something else. But some things are for sure. We need to display some real sense of asthetics in riverfront development and we need to do that fast and we need to monetise that.
DeleteAlso with one-third of city's population living in slums and zhupris being seen all across the city, we need to build thousands ( I literally mean so)...and thousands of EWS flats ...thats how Singapore had removed its slums. This can also be taken up under BUSP and other stuffs under JNNURM.
Hawkers are still persisting all around the IT Parks in New Town... we did not hear about progress related to the food courts planned to relocate them ...for a long time....
Also we are eager to hear about construction of any new roads in New Town and also about any fresh investments in the finance hub of New Town .
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ReplyDeletesub:one request
ReplyDeleteDear Sir,
In east west metro there is a proposal of reroute the metro-line.
Now Dharma tala Bus stand and Babughat bus stand is also being relocated so is there any need to reroute the east west metro?
One meeting has been planned to discuss this route alignment. Sir please please push this metro line so that it become operational as soon as possible.
regards
Shubhashis
Mr. Sen,
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice of you if you could kindly update on the following :-
1. Intercity, inter state and inter national bus terminus at New Town. – last reported 15.7.13.
2. Parama island-Park Circus crossing flyover work was to start post Puja – Has it started.
3. New Garia – Airport Metro – its proposed deadline was 2015-16 when can it be expected to complete.
4. Proposed elevated corridor that will start from EM Bypass near the Parama Island junction and will terminate at Rajarhat New Town's Action Area 1D near Hidco Bhavan as last reported in newspaper on 29th April, 2013.
Regards,
Sanjeev
This is a very bad design of the riverfront. Please consult experts who know better. The riverfront is a very important area for improving the image of the city and its design cannot be left with a handful of IAS officers. You have to engage a world renowned city planner. There are several riverfronts in the world to learn from. If you are not traveling to Paris or London in the coming months, please see the Sabarmati riverfront development. I really hope this is a temporary arrangement and this horrible design will be dismantled soon.
ReplyDeletePlease do not do the "ferris wheel/kolkata eye" it "quickly". There needs to be at least six months of deliberation of a proper riverfront design that will include the ferris wheel within its master plan. These initiatives should not be treated as stand alone projects, stitched together by these narrow elevated walkways. Make a proper plan from Bidhan ghat ion the south to Bagbazar ghat in the north. This is our heritage. Everytime a bad design is made, it brings down the GDP and the overall economy of the region. Everytime a good, well thought through design, is made, it continues to contribute to the economy of the region. Please study carefully how a good riverfront is designed. What is the hurry?
ReplyDeleteNKDA is taking a lot of steps to have a check on the unplanned urbanization all around New Town. Thanks Sir for that. But what I felt was NKDA and HIDCO is taking these steps keeping in mind only the highrise apartments. But I think one serious issue needs to be addressed and thats the width of roads all around New Town's surrounding areas. None of us wants narrow lanes like Old Kolkata in the peripherial areas of New Town. Newly constructed PWD road (constructed in March) between New Town and Bhojerhaat is already broken after a single monsoon season. That road needs to widened . Can NKDA Stipulate all the builders in the peripherial areas of New Town to maintain a minimum road width (50-60 feet at least) and also come up with a detailed map to widen the existing village Panchayet roads because those roads are going to become thoroughfares in next 10 years in those areas.
ReplyDeleteMay be this can be done during land conversion appeal by builders. I know land conversion is not in hands of NKDA / HIDCO. It will be done by BLRO / SDLRO / ADLRO office but we need a synchronization across multiple departments to develop a comprehensive plan. May be its time to re-look at the age-old Town and Country Planning Act and revise it to accomodate wider roads with footpaths and not the type of junk stuff developed by KMDA in Ruby and Patuli area.
Hi Abhishek, The Bhojerhat Road is a very old one. The PWD wanted to increase the width of the road to at least 7 meters (original plan was 10 meters) and prepared an estimate of Rs. 16 crore. In fact Mr. Debashis Sen got the HIDCO to sanction Rs. 5 crore also for it at the July 30, 2012 HIDCO Board Meeting. The issue is land but in a different manner. All the land needed for expansion of the Bhojerhat Road is under the Govt. which were requisitioned in 1964-65 under Act-II. There is no need for fresh land acquisition. Just that there are some solvable issues that that Govt. needs to take up. Would not like to mention those issues in public but all officials dealing with the same are aware of it. Would request HIDCO to also push for it again.
ReplyDeleteHi Tanvir, what I meant was the newly repaired Bhojerhaat-Rajarhat road. It was my mistake that I mentioned "newly constructed" instead of newly repaired.
DeleteThe road was repaired in the month of March 2013 by PWD and already in places its broken when I visited the place in the month of November.
Now, the Panchayet elections are over, the road should be widened to at least 100 feet width to cater to the future traffic.
But perhaps we will wait for the Loksabha elections before taking any step.