Kalighat Skywalk project: KMC to develop new road, footpath and underground cable duct

kolkata: As part of the Kalighat Skywalk Project, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will be constructing a new road with an adjoining footpath and passage with other ancillary works at Kali Temple Road and Gurupada Halder Road (part).

The civic body on Saturday cleared the proposal. As part of this sub-project, under the Kalighat Skywalk Project, KMC will also develop the footpath along with an underground cable duct along Kali Temple Road from Kalighat Road to SP Mukherjee Road and allied civil works at Ward 83.

It was learnt that a review meeting related to the progress of the Kalighat Skywalk Project was held at Nabanna on July 25, this year. It was chaired by Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi and it was decided that due to “unsatisfactory progress” of the work of the agency executing the skywalk project, the road and the pavement along Kali Temple Road will be undertaken by KMC by engaging another agency. Finally, it was decided that the construction and the ancillary civil works would be carried out by the civic body’s civil engineering department.

The total cost for the road construction and ancillary works, including hot-mix for roadwork supplied by KMC, is estimated at Rs 38542230. The cost for the development of a footpath with an underground cable duct is Rs 14237922. The fund will be disbursed from the government deposit fund and the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs (UDMA) department.

Recently, KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim said that the Kalighat Skywalk project will overshoot its December 2023 deadline and may be completed by September next year. Hakim said the main hurdle has been locating utility lines under the area.

“There are many lines running underground and it is next to impossible to say which is functional and which are non-functional for years. These are mainly sewer lines. If any of these lines get damaged, there will be heavy waterlogging in the Kalighat area. Since most of the underground pipelines date back to the British era, plans are not available with us,” he explained.