Hakim to unveil revamped floating market at Patuli

Kolkata: State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim will unveil the revamped floating market at Patuli on EM Bypass on Saturday.

The market will be opened up partially with 40 stalls on Saturday and another 30 odd are expected to be unveiled before the Kali Puja.

The floating market was ravaged by the severe cyclonic storm Amphan that hit the state on May 20 with all the 102 vendors who used to sell their wares on boats compelled to shift to the footpath by the roadside to earn their livelihood.

Only 37 of the boats could be repaired and the rest has to be procured afresh. 30 new boats have already been procured from Balagarh in Hooghly and presently they are getting painted and shades on top of the boats with projection are being made The extra projection of the shades will ensure that rainwater fall in the waterbody and the vendors do not get drenched by any means even if it rain cats and dogs.

A senior official of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) which maintains the floating market said that this time a platform has been made underneath the boats to avoid their direct contact with water.

"We will begin with 40 -42 boats and will open up a zone within the waterbody from Saturday. Another zone with 30 will be operational before Kali Puja. We have already had an expenditure of around Rs 3 crores for this work," said the official.

The KMDA will send a fresh proposal for procurement of another 32 new boats along with the project report to the state Finance department soon after the puja season.

The floating market at Patuli was launched on January 24, 2018 conceived in the same model as the one at Pattaya, Bangkok.

Before suffering damages due to Amphan there were four zones in the market- one for fish, another for chicken, mutton and eggs, third for vegetables, fruits and flowers and another for grocery and miscellaneous items.