Kolkata: As New Market turns 150, the Gillett & Johnston clock atop its iconic tower will start ticking again. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to start the repair and restoration work of the heritage market with the clock tower that had stopped functioning in 2018. A team of experts will visit New Market later this week to take stock of the present condition of the clock.
Battered by Cyclone Amphan in May 2020, the tower's spire made of wooden slats has fallen apart.The timber floors are damaged and wild vegetation has taken root. The Westminster chimes and hourly dongs have also gone silent. Portions of the intricate glasses that made up the 7-ft diameter dials have gone missing.
The experts will assess the structural condition of the tower and the facade. Restoration of this section of the market will be taken up first before repairs are carried out in other parts of the market.
The facade and the clock tower will also receive a fresh coat of paint and be illuminated to mark the start of a year-long celebration for a market that has been synonymous to the city’s traditions for over a century and a half.
Amiruddin Bobby, mayor-in-council member overseeing the KMC market department, said the civic body would celebrate the 150th anniversary of New Market in a befitting manner. “We have made a comprehensive restoration plan for New Market in its milestone year. It will be carried out in two phases. I have asked the market department officials to get in touch with traders of the market to prepare the celebration plan,” the MMiC said on Monday.
According to a KMC market department official, the civic body will take up the restoration of the flower range where the ceiling requires reinforcement. Thereafter, damaged floor tiles in the market, including the central Golghar, will be replaced. The civic body also plans to modernize the drainage system of the entire market, especially at the fish and meat range.
“We have a short-term as well as a long-term plan for restoration of New Market. While the short-term plan will terminate with the milestone year celebrations, the long-term plan will go a long way to strengthen the structure of the market and prepare it to stay fit for another 100 years,” said a KMC official.
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