Chingrighata deadlock: Talks continue as officials ask for more time on traffic plan
Telegraph | 18 December 2025
The state government sought more time to discuss the impasse over Metro work at the Chingrighata crossing.
At a meeting on Wednesday with representatives from the Metro railway and officials from the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), implementing agency of the New Garia-Airport Metro line, senior state officials sought time before deciding on a date for a proposed traffic block at the key intersection on EM Bypass.
A second meeting is likely to be held later in the week to iron out the creases.
“EM Bypass is one of the city’s key corridors, and any block at the Chingrighata intersection is likely to have a huge impact on traffic on both flanks. Since no clear understanding could be arrived at, the state government sought more time,” a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.
Representatives from multiple state government agencies, including the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), Kolkata Police, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), and the transport and urban development departments, were present at the meeting.
The meeting was held at the behest of Calcutta High Court, which directed the state government and the RVNL to mutually decide on when the work at Chingrighata can begin.
“Multiple issues about the proposed traffic block were brought up at the meeting. Since the representatives present couldn’t arrive at a consensus about traffic management, it was decided that a second meeting would be held shortly,” the official said.
The RVNL has been seeking a traffic closure to launch concrete blocks between piers 317, 318, and 319 to bridge a 366-metre gap. The agency had sought traffic closures for three nights each in the second and third weeks of November, but they never came through.
Kolkata Police conducted a trial run in November to understand the impact of the proposed closure. Still, they did not follow up with the RVNL to confirm whether the proposed block would be finally offered to the agency, the Metro officials said.