43 lakh people visit Eco Park since inception

As many as 43.48 lakh people have visited Eco Park in New Town till January 26 since its inception in 2013.

Debashis Sen, chairman, Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) said that from its inception till January 26, 43,48,671 people have visited the park. 

It may be recalled that after coming to power Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked Hidco officials to take steps to beautify  New Town. 

The vast areas surrounding Dupir Bill was converted into Eco Park covering an area of 112 acre water body. Since two- and-a-half years it has become major tourist destination. The turnout was such that Hidco authorities had to install control room to look after the revelers. On December 25 last year, the turnout   was 64,000.

The USP for Eco Park is cleanliness and maintenance, said Sen. For public littering, one has to pay a fine of Rs 100. Twenty two cottages have been built where people have to go by boat. Many people are booking the cottages to see sunrise and spent the day or two in the middle of nature. It may be recalled that Banerjee had hosted the dinner for the guests who attended the Bengal Global Business Summit which was held on January 8 and 9 and the guests were taken to the venue by boats.  

There are rose and orchard gardens and the musical fountain at Eco Park. 

The Café Ekante has gained popularity among revelers. In December, a floating restaurant was inaugurated. 

A toy train, which is a replica of the famous Toy Train of Darjeeling, has been introduced. The passengers can hop on and off and the total time taken to cover the route is around 40 minutes.

Lakshmi Tandon, who stays at an apartment on Southern Avenue in south Kolkata, has made it a point to visit the park twice a month. “I along with my family members spent the whole day. My grand children are very happy and we all enjoy the green.”

Sen said constant monitoring had been done to keep the area clean. Senior officials of Hidco often inspect the park to ensure that the employees were doing their jobs properly.