Kolkata market finally gets a new ray of HOPE

BENGAL Known to be the land scarce state, The rehab project which turns its Patuli lake into a shopping area

It may not be the Damnoen saduak floating market of Bangkok and may lack the Himalayan scenic backdrop of Srinagars dal lake, where everything from flowers to exquisite shawls and gemstones are sold on boats. But this market in Kolkatta in Patuli lake is creating ripples.

This market is located in south east of the city, the market is a rehabilitation project with few parallels.

There are around 114 self catered boats with 228 shops, selling vegetables, fresh fruits, poultry, fish and meat. Also thrown in for good measure for barber shop, bedding and groceries. All the boats are numbered serially and two vendors share each boat.

It's all together a new Experience The new floating market is yet to find its moorings as vendors and customers try to adapt to this new experience.

Customers say they need to inspect the fish before they buy by looking into its gills and scales for its freshness says a 68 year old Sengupta, who is loath to change his tested buying practices of many decades. Balancing carefully on the Ramps and woodenwalkways that now criss cross the lake, he pops his head under the canopy of a boat, searching for the best greens.

Earlier the vendors use to sell produce on the both sides of the Eastern Metropolitian Bypass a 15 km long thoroughfare that skirts and stretches the eastern fringe of the metropolis. It has vast wet lands on one side and huge complexes on the other, the EMB is now the focus of the city's development projects, including an rail corridor connecting the airport.

As the six lane a narrow lane stretch, was necessary to get land to widen the road and the market had to go. Out of this the invention had come.
The necessary became an invention of the market and thus the storm water drainage canal became the city's first floating market.
Workmen from bengals traditional boat making hub of Balgargh in Hooghly district were brought to build the boats.

Mosquito eradication
Total investment around 10 cr was spent by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority to set up the floating market. According to the local councillor Arup Chakrabarty, measures have been taken to ensure that lake does not become the breeding grounds to mosquitoes and larvae.

They have installed an aerator and fountains and nearly 10,000 fish that feed on mosquito larvae have been introduced into the lake. Intermediate measures have been taken to clean up the lake on regular intervals.

The market was inaugurated by Kolkata Chief minister Mamata Banerjee last month. Billboards on the walkways announce that children below 6 years are not allowed and plastic bags are a strict No.The shopkeepers of the erstwhile market are yet to see a skipe in sales. A vendor says we see a lot of visitors in the evenings but a very few but from us.