Turn Hoogly into Thames, Kolkata will become London
London and Kolkata have very little in common - except both are situated on the banks of rivers: London on the banks of the Thames, and Kolkata on the banks of the River Hoogly, which Mamata wants to exploit and if done properly, it would certainly de-congest road traffic.
THE IDEA does have its plus points and, if exploited properly, could ease the load on the already congested and saturated road traffic. Any waterway is a pollution-free mode of transport and would certainly allow Kolkata commuters to heave a sigh of relief. Only – it would be a longer journey and, during inclement weather conditions, especially during the monsoons, could pose difficulties.
The proposal that is under consideration of Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal is a PPP system- a public-private- partnership. The present Hoogly River transportation is used mostly by commuters who arrive from far-flung areas in the outskirts of Kolkata. They arrive at Howrah Station and use the ferry service to cross the River and travel to business and office districts, located in the Dalhousie Square better known as the BBD area.
The existing system is totally inadequate because due to lack of proper landing facilities, passengers have to, at times wade through knee-deep, at times hip-deep, muddy and slushy areas after they disembark. That must be modernized if it is to attract passengers and prove its worth as a viable alternative.
Obviously, if the new system has to link other areas, the waterway would need extra infrastructure in the form of suitable landing sites or jetties. And, of course, there would have to be an adequate numbers of boats or launches or ferries.
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