KMDA mulls skywalk in Kalighat

Kolkata: The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) is planning to construct a 450 metre long skywalk for facilitating the movement of devotees to Kalighat Temple. The government will be allocating Rs 125 crore for the construction of the skywalk.

A team of engineers from KMDA visited the premises of Kalighat Temple to get an idea of the location for the same. As per plans, it will begin from SP Mukherjee Road and go upto Kali Temple Road. There will be escalator facilities for climbing up to the skywalk.

Thousands of devotees visit the temple on a daily basis. During Kali Puja and the Bengali New Year, the footfall increases threefold.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had inaugurated the Rani Rashmoni skywalk at Dakshineswar before Kali Puja. People can now reach the Dakshineswar Temple through the skywalk right from the rail station. At the inaugural programme, she had asked her concerned government officials to build a similar skywalk at Kalighat.

Officials from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and KMDA had paid a number of visits to Kalighat.

It may be mentioned that the skywalk at Dakshineswar is 340 metres long and 10.5 metres wide. The cost of the entire project has been

Rs 60 crore and it has taken nearly three years for the construction.

The skywalk has a dozen escalators and 4 elevators, particularly for the benefit of senior citizens and the physically challenged. It also has space for 200 shops.