Kolkata: With over 200 residents of Bowbazar in north Kolkata, whose houses were damaged due to repeated subsidence during the East-West Metro tunnelling since 2019, staging a sit-in on Friday, the councillor of the affected ward requested formation of a monitoring cell by Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
Local Trinamool Congress councillor of Ward 48 in Bowbazar area, Biswarup Dey, on Friday raised the matter at the KMC monthly meeting. He said that several old houses along Durga Pituri Lane in the Esplanade-Sealdah stretch have developed “huge cracks”, leaving many families to live in rented accommodations or with relatives for the past six years.
Dey highlighted that the affected residents are “facing extreme difficulties and staring at an uncertain future due to the inordinate delay” by Metro Railways. He also expressed fears of another mishap taking place with the final link of East-West metro between Sealdah and Esplanade becoming operational on Friday evening.
He called for formation of a monitoring cell that will monitor the reconstruction of the collapsed houses and also intervene in case another mishap takes place due to the new Metro operation. Meanwhile, during the protest near BB Ganguly Street, Sourav Mukherjee, a member of an affected family, reportedly said: “While Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated three new stretches, including Esplanade-Sealdah, most of us will continue to live outside our ancestral homes due to the apathy and indifference of the Railways. Can anyone say how long we will have to live in rented apartments? What is our fault?”
An official from Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation Ltd (KMRCL) told the media that tenders will soon be floated for rebuilding and renovating the affected houses. Clearance has already been obtained from the KMC Building department. The official added that a monitoring cell has been set up to ensure that construction in the affected areas is properly executed and that residents are kept informed of progress.