KOLKATA: The Bangkok market-styled floating market in Patuli that was devastated by cyclone Amphan earlier this year has been revamped and is to be reopened on Saturday. Inaugurated in January 2018, with 112 boats and around 200 hawkers, the floating market had become an instant hit and was among the city’s most talked about projects in recent times. But the place lost its sheen over months and after Amphan struck on May 20, almost 90% of the boats and parts of the approach and had been shut. The hawkers and vendors had shifted to the footpath alongside the market.
Over the past four-and-a-half months, officials of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) — the custodians of the market — said they spent around Rs 3 crore on renovation. On Saturday, state urban development and municipal affairs department minister Firhad Hakim will unveil the revamped floating market. “Phase II of the floating market was mostly damaged. We have undertaken large-scale renovation work of the entire project, which will be inaugurated by the minister. Most of the old vendors will be back from Saturday itself,” said KMDA chief executive officer (CEO) Antara Acharya.
Times View
A concept like this can become immensely popular if executed intelligently and maintained properly. The first edition was an instant hit because of the novelty factor but, then, several problems started surfacing. Hopefully, lessons have been learnt.
Arup Chakraborty, the local KMC ward coordinator said that he, along with the KMDA CEO, had been planning how to rejuvenate the market. “A detailed survey and planning was carried out to renovate the market. It will start afresh with 57 boats from Saturday and the rest are expected to be ready by December 25,” he said. The plan is to have over 100 new boats in the market when fully operational.
Chakraborty added that to avoid the boats being in direct contact with water, a platform of fibre coating has been set up under the vessels. The local KMC authorities will keep in touch with the hawkers and vendors to check if they face any new problems.
Conceived and developed by KMDA at Rs 10 crore, on the lines of the floating markets in Thailand, the Patuli market initially had four separate zones — a fish market, a zone for chicken, mutton and eggs, another zone for fruits and vegetables and a grocery section. Later, locals started distancing themselves from the market over allegations of malfunctioning weighing machines and difficulty in approaching and buying goods from the vendors. As a result, it became more of a tourist destination than a marketplace profitable for vendors. Many vendors complained of dipping sales. By the end of 2019, a majority of boats were also damaged, forcing KMDA to undertake large-scale repairs and procuring some new boats. They also set up benches on the pathway and installed new lights for the convenience of buyers. Work got stalled after the Covid-induced lockdown in March before Amphan wreaked havoc.