KMC’s ‘Banglar Bari’ project for Adi Ganga bank settlers in limbo

Kolkata: With the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) unable to find space, the fate of the ‘Banglar Bari’ project for residents who had voluntarily left their homes to pave the way for Adi Ganga dredging and fencing work is now in limbo.

The councillor of Ward 83, Prabir Kumar Mukhopadhyay has drawn the attention of the civic body, enquiring when the work for the ‘Banglar Bari’ project will start and the time it would take to complete the same. According to him, several residents who were living on the banks of the Adi Ganga had left their homes to pave the way for dredging of the canal and installation of fences along the bank. These people had become homeless. Presently, many of them have started living on the empty spaces that were available on the canal banks.

The councillor highlighted that in KMC budget 2024-25, it was mentioned that a field named ‘Charur Maath’ was identified for ‘Banglar Bari’ and a draft proposal was drawn up for the same. Soil test was also carried out at the field for the project. However, there has been no update since

such development. The member mayor-in-council (MMIC) of the slum development department, Swapan Samaddar has informed that the civic body had initially started the work for executing the project.

Following the soil test, the survey department was asked about the ownership of the land in question where the homes were to be built under the project. The department gave a report which said that the land was acquired for developing a road. Thereafter the housing project came to a halt.

The MMIC clarified that it was also learnt that the space available there is not adequate for raising a four-storied building as per building rules

of the KMC. Samaddar added that if in the near future the requirement to build the road there ceases to exist then the civic body will reconsider its plan to execute the project.