Dhapa

What is an eyesore today, will be a tourist draw tomorrow. Come 2008, an amusement park will open doors at Dhapa.

It will boast of a lake, musical fountains, a landscaped garden, decorative illumination, a bar-restaurant and a children’s corner.

The Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) has chalked out the ambitious plan following the chief minister’s advice. Funds will come under the Calcutta Environment Improvement Project (CEIP).

“The days of going past Dhapa with a handkerchief over your nose will soon be over,” promised civic commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhyay.

Under pressure from environmentalists, the government has decided to shift the dumping ground at Dhapa. A 114-hectare plot near the existing site has been identified for the new dump. The greenfield solid waste disposal ground will be readied at an estimated cost of Rs 37 crore, to be provided by the Asian Development Bank.

“Several star hotels, fairgrounds, exhibition centres, housing estates, malls, a wetland interpretation centre and other projects are coming up around Dhapa. The area will change in a few years. Hence, the dumping ground needs to be shifted,” explained Bandyopadhyay.

The CMC will engage a private company to implement the project. “We will soon invite expressions of interest. The company entrusted with the responsibility of setting up the new dump will build the amusement park. But apart from the park, no major construction will be allowed,’’ added Bandyopadhyay.

The company will have to prepare the blueprint according to the CEIP and the CMC guidelines, and fund the project. It will be allowed to keep the revenue from the park. The work is expected to start early next year.

Source: The Telegraph

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