Rejuvenation of Patuli floating market begins

Kolkata: The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has started work for rejuvenation of the floating market at Patuli on EM Bypass that has suffered reasonable damage due to the severe cyclonic storm Amphan that hit the state on May 20.

Some 30 to 40 boats in the market were damaged and several others got uprooted due to Amphan pushing the market into complete closure. Only, a handful of hawkers have resumed their business in the boats recently while the majority are hawking by the side of the road.

DG(KMDA), Supriya Maity said that efforts are being made to start the market operation from mid August at least with 30-35 boats. There were a total of 112 boats in the waterbody with each of them accommodating two hawkers.

"We have asked the local ward co-ordinator to arrange some space in nearby location so that work for repairing of boats can be fast tracked. Presently two teams are working and we are ready to deploy more teams, provided we get space for repair," the KMDA official said.

The market has four zones - one for fish, another for chicken, mutton and eggs, the third for vegetables, fruits and flowers and another for grocery and miscellaneous items. However, customers want to have the vegetables and fish side by side.

"The KMDA will reorganise the position of the boats and the hawkers and come up with an entry gate from the EM Bypass side. We have also asked them to have a parking space. Rs 5 crore has been sanctioned for the uplift of the market,"

said Saktiman Ghosh, a leader of the Hawker Sangram Committee

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