Canal to Bangladesh to be revived

After years of delay, the canal connecting Kolkata with Bangladesh, and servicing Salt Lake and Rajarhat, may be opened by 2005.

The West Bengal government is planning to invite expression of interest (EoI) from prospective investors to start passenger and cargo ferry along the Kestopur canal and set up terminals along the banks on BOT basis.

The project, estimated to cost around Rs 23-24 crore, would be operational by October next year with contract to be awarded by March, said D Sengupta, managing director of I-Win, the project consultant to the state government.

The project envisaged reclamation of the north Kolkata canal system, which was operational till 1967.

The state government then let it fall into disuse and abandoned it.

The transport plan was revived five years ago but work could not start as the canal had very little draft.

The state's housing infrastructure development company HIDCO recently engaged state irrigation department to dredge the canal.

HIDCO has planned to connect the New Town at Rajarhat through the canal.

Dredging will be completed by July 2005.

Post dredging, the draft will be 2.44 metres, suitable for 2.5 tonne parcel load cargo.

This canal system would reduce distance to Bangladesh from 273 km to about 90km and give a cost advantage to exporters.

The cargo route would start from the railways cargo complex at Chitpur in north Kolkata and enter Bangladesh through an entry point via the river Roymangal in the Sunderbans.

For passengers, it would link Salt Lake and New Town to the Chitpur metro rail and circular rail stations which serviced central and south Kolkata.

There will be minimum seven terminals on the canal along the entire stretch.

Sengupta claimed several companies, mostly shipping firms, were keen on the project.

The private investor was likely to be offered a 30 year BOT partnership deal.

NHAI project

National Highways Authority of India would take up a road connectivity project to link Kolkata Port and NSC Bose International Airport.

The 68km road project would do speed up goods transportation between the two destinations, claimed state industry secretary Sabyasachi Sen in a seminar on 'Improving infrastructure in West Bengal,' organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce.