Northern Park substitute for Jadavpur pond closure
Times of India | 6 November 2024
12 Kolkata: KMC has set up a pond at Northern Park in Bhowanipore for Chhath devotees after the expansive natural pond facing the derelict Bengal Lamp factory became inaccessible owing to an ongoing court case.
This year, KMC has prepared 23 ponds and water bodies across stretches of south Kolkata, including the Tollygunge-Jadavpur belt, as alternative venues since Rabindra Sarobar will remain out of bounds for devotees. Among these, six artificial ponds have been constructed and will be subsequently removed after the festival. Likewise, 11 ponds have been identified in the city's north-east regions, accommodating those who previously performed rituals at Subhas Sarobar.
Additionally, KMC has made comprehensive arrangements at prominent ghats along the Hooghly. Principal ghats, including Bajekadamtolla (Babughat), Bagbazar ghat, Mayer ghat, Ahiritolla ghat, Sovabazar ghat, Doighat (Kidderpore) and Takt ghat (Kidderpore) have been decked up for celebrations. KMC is installing temporary bio-toilets at most of these ghats. Also, KMC has provisionally created 111 ghats adjacent to existing ones and ponds across 144 wards.
A KMC parks and squares department official confirmed that the civic authorities sanctioned six artificial ponds in localities such as Panditiya Road, Jamir Lane (Ballygunge), Deshapran Sashmal Road and Jhaldar Math (Tollygunge). A fresh pond is being constructed at Northern Park in Bhowanipore. These locations since there are no natural water bodies here.
The KMC official stated that approximately 300 water tankers, each carrying 5,000 litres, will be deployed to fill these six artificial ponds. The largest temporary reservoir, measuring 65ftX45ft, will be excavated at Tentultala ground off Panditiya Road. "We will have these reservoirs prepared by Nov 6," confirmed a senior KMC engineering department official.
The civic official explained that the authorisation for temporary ponds aimed at providing the devotees with alternative venues for Chhat rituals on Nov 7 and 8.