Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is learnt to have approved the project to permanently address the recurring flooding in Kalighat and adjoining neighbourhoods during high tides and monsoon rains.
The project, cleared at the Mayor-in-Council meeting on Monday, involves the construction of a modern barrage at Doighat—where Tolly Nullah (Adi Ganga) meets the Hooghly—and a new drainage pumping station. Work is expected to begin after Durga Puja. The civic body’s decision follows years of complaints from residents who have faced waterlogging whenever the Adi Ganga overflows. The problem is most severe in three wards—Ward 83, which includes the Kalighat temple, Ward 73, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee resides and Ward 88, represented by MP Mala Roy.
Areas such as Kalighat Road, Tollygunge Road, Kalighat Bazaar, Bara Gully, Chakraborty Para, Mayer Sadar Ghat etc are among those frequently inundated. It was learnt that the proposed barrage will be 25 feet high and 42 metres long. Its gates will remain closed during high tide, preventing the Hooghly’s water from entering Tali Nala and will be opened at low tide. During the monsoon, even at high tide, the gates will stay shut, with the pumping station controlling drainage. Officials noted that the Hooghly’s water level often rises by 15–20 feet during tidal surges, worsened by rainfall, which leads to water spilling into surrounding neighbourhoods.
While the project was initially under the Drainage department, it is now being implemented by the Planning and Development department. A major share of funding will reportedly come from the Centre’s disaster management allocation of Rs 500 crore.
Ward 83 councillor Probir Mukherjee said the initiative would provide long-awaited relief to residents. Locals have welcomed the approval, though many want work to start quickly so that the system is in place before the next monsoon.