Tag: Gangasagar Bakkhali Development Authority

Urban development – A priority for Trinamool led Bangla Government

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The State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department has done a commendable job under the Trinamool Congress-run administration. Over the last seven years, it has set up eight development authorities and carried out a lot of work on township beautification.

The primary achievements are as follows:

New development authorities: For the upgrading of existing infrastructure and creation of new tourist attractions in planned manner, eight development authorities have been constituted. They are:

  • Gangasagar Bakkhali Development Authority (in 2013),
  • Furfurah Sharif Development Authority (in 2015),
  • Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority (in 2015),
  • Bakreswar Development Authority (in 2016),
  • Patharchapuri Development Authority (in 2016),
  • Mukutmanipur Development Authority (in 2017),
  • Changrabandha Development Authority (2017) and
  • Tarakeswar Development Authority (2017).

Area extension work has been done for Gangasagar Bakkhali Development Authority, Haldia Development Authority, Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority and New Town Kolkata Development Authority.

Green City Mission: It was launched in 2016 for all cities of the State to make them future-proof, talent-friendly and investment-oriented by adopting sustainable, environment-friendly, liveable, energy-positive (adoption of solar energy) and information technology-friendly programmes. A total of 2,596 projects with a total project cost of Rs 1,290 crore have been launched.

Gitabitan: This new township dedicated to art, culture and design is being developed in Bolpur in Birbhum district under the Sriniketan Santiniketan Development Authority.

Floating market at Patuli: For rehabilitating shopkeepers who had to move away because of the widening of the EM Bypass, a unique floating market was created at a waterbody in Patuli near Garia, Kolkata. It has become immensely popular, both among locals and visitors.

Tele Academy and Correctional Home: A Tele Academy (academy for imparting training on various aspects of the television industry) and a state-of-the-art correctional home are being constructed in Baruipur.

Eco Tourism Park: Also known as Prakriti Tirtha, this beautiful park was set up on 480 acres of land around a 112-acre waterbody, alongside Biswa Banga Sarani in New Town. It has now become one of the biggest tourist attractions of Bangla.

Other constructions in Newtown: Other important constructions in New Town, one of the green cities and now considered a model city in the country, are Rabindra Tirtha, Nazrul Tirtha, Mother’s Wax Museum, Kolkata International (Biswa Bangla) Convention Centre and the Financial Hub.

Bicycles: A dock-less, GPS-enabled bicycle sharing service has been started in New Town.

Developments in Digha: A huge illuminated Welcome Gate was constructed in Digha to welcome visitors. The gate is beautifully designed and is lit up beautifully too, and it has become a popular spot for photography. A convention centre is under construction as well as a Hawkers’ Rehabilitation Centre, beachfront beauti­fication in front of Saikatabas and other places, a central bus stand, Digha Mohana Road, bituminous road to Sankarpur and Tajpur, and from Digha Gate to Mandarmoni, and Biswa Bangla Uddyan.

Developments in Mukutmanipur: The area under Mukutmanipur Development Authority has been declared a tobacco-free and plastic-free zone. The authority has adopted the motto, ‘Green and clean Mukutmanipur’. Open consumption of both tobacco and alcohol has been banned here, along with a ban on use of plastic.

Developments in Tarakeswar: Three electrical high masts have been put up by Tarakeswar Panchayat Samity. The Tarakeswar Municipality has put up 13 electrical high masts, trident lamp posts with LED Lamps and 300 nine-metre electrical poles with LED lights.

Hospitals: Beautification and frontage development of 23 district hospitals have been completed and work has been initiated for another 13 district, sub-divisional and State General Hospitals.

Parks: Development of more than 406 parks has been completed and that of another 391 are in the works as part of a green space development programme.

Crematorium: In the Medinipur-Kharagpur planning area, an electric crematorium has been constructed to prevent pollution generated by burning of wood in funeral pyres.

State takes all measures for convenience of pilgrims at Gangasagar Mela

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The West Bengal Government has taken huge precautionary measures to avert any untoward incident during this year’s Gangasagar Mela.

A team of seven ministers, led by state panchayat affairs and rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee, the state housing and youth affairs minister Arup Biswas and state power minister Manish Gupta, is deputed at Kopchuberia. Also, a team of four ministers consisting of state urban development and municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim, state irrigation minister Rajib Banerjee, minister of state for minority affairs Giasuddin Mollah and state Sunderbans affairs minister Manturam Pakhira are stationed at Harwood Point.

In one of the biggest religious cogregations in the country, pilgrims look pleased this year. With the setting up of bio-toilets, West Bengal government has kept its promise of going eco-friendly at the ongoing Gangasagar Mela.

Making the area free from open-defecation, women and men can be seen using the bio-toilets giving a positive response to the initiative. With security being beefed up, drones are being used to keep check on the crowd.

The Ganga Sagar Mela is one of the biggest religious festivals of the country that started Tuesday. Thousands of pilgrims descend on Sagar Island, a part of the Sunderbans archipelago in South 24 Parganas district, to observe Makar Sankranti in January every year.

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee is expected to visit the Mela to take stock of the arrangements and also offer her prayers at Kapilmuni Ashram.

Bakkhali tourism project on fast track

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The state government has come up with an infrastructure and tourism development project for Jambudweep and Bakkhali.

The Gangasagar Bakkhali Development Authority (GBDA), which was constituted about a year ago, has been working to spruce up the area’s infrastructure.

Benches have been set up with sheds on the roadside and the beach for tourists, while the approach road to the beach has been paved with water fountain. Streetlights have also been installed.

The GBDA is now preparing a land-use plan for the area. A new building of GBDA is also coming up in the locality. Urban development officials visited Bakkhali and Jambudweep a few days ago to review the beautification and development works.

The authorities have come up with a number of plans to develop the areas. A detailed blueprint will be prepared to adopt beach beautification programmes in Jambudwip and Bakkhali as part of the World Bank-aided Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP), which is now being undertaken at Digha.

The GBDA will also conduct a survey on how they can redevelop the bus stand and the main market of Bakkhali. A detailed project report will also be prepared for setting up a jetty at Jambudwip.

Urban development and forest officials will attend a meeting on September 16 to discuss how they can develop the proposed eco-trail at Jambudweep.

State Eco-tourism Board to set up trail link to Jambudweep, homestays in Sundarbans

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The Eco-tourism Advisory Board held its first meeting at Nabanna on Wednesday . The board gave the go ahead to the proposed eco trail link between Bakkhali and Jambudweep. The Gangasagar Bakkhali Development Authority (GBDA) has been asked to submit a feasibility report within a week.

The project details will be worked out in consultation with the forest department. The urban development department has already come up with some preliminary proposals like setting up an Interpretation Centre, a few tent-camps and a guided photography trail for nature enthusiasts.

There is also a proposal to introduce a proper river transport by developing a route between Bakkhali and Jambudweep, somewhere near the fishing harbour point at Edward Creek.

A jetty has also been proposed to be constructed at the northeastern shore of Jambudweep along with the nature interpretation centre.Officials said that, at present, no tourist is allowed to step into Jambudweep.

The eco-tourism board was constituted by the West Bengal Government last year for developing new eco tourist spots. It was during the West Bengal Chief Minister’slast visit to Gangasagar in October last year that she had expressed her desire to develop an ecotourism circuit between Bakkhali, Jambudweep and Gangasagar.

The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has also prepared a Rs 300crore plan for developing Gangasagar. The plan includes promotion of three virgin beaches in the area without affecting the eco-system. It has been submitted to the ministry of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation to be considered for implementation under the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) scheme.

Plans are being made to introduce homestay tourism in 23 villages of Sundarban too. Samshernagar in Hingalganj, Koikhali in Kultali, and Nafarganj in Basanti have been selected initially for the purpose.