20-year-old Puja to make way for alternative bridge on Tolly Nullah

KOLKATA: The 20-year-old IT Lane Nabadoy Sangha Puja committee has started pulling down their pandal on the road to make way for the approach road towards the new canal bridge constructed over Tolly Nullah. Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim met Puja committee members on Saturday and assured them that they would get a space for the Puja on the Tolly Club premises.
The organisers were happy with the initiative.“We are grateful to the minister for taking up the issue. He came to meet us today and informed us that we are being provided space on the Tolly Club premises,” said Prabir Dhar, a Puja committee member.

The mayor had earlier intimated Tolly Club officials about the requirement of a plot for one month so that the Durga Puja on Izzatullah Lane could be relocated. The space on the road where the Puja has been traditionally organised for the last 20 years is needed to open an alternative bridge to handle the festive rush.
With this, KMDA officials are now optimistic about completing the work and opening the canal bridge to traffic before the Puja. “It would take about five days to set up the bridge approach following which another week would be required to complete and strengthen the bituminous concrete job. Going by this, the entire job can be completed by September 30 if work to set up the bridge approach starts from Monday. In that case, the bridge can be opened before the Puja,” said a KMDA official.
There is no problem with the other canal bridge that is coming up at Karunamoyee, with KMDA almost on the last leg of setting up the approach road. “The Karunamoyee canal bridge is expected to be fully ready by next week,” an official said.
Last Wednesday, the mayor along with senior police officers had gone to inspect the progress of work of the two canal bridges where the Nabadoy Sangha Puja committee members spoke about their concerns.