27.3.16

Somewhere in Kolkata....


Come 2019, Curzon Park at Esplanade will turn into Delhi's Rajiv Chowk with three Metro alignments criss-crossing each other, all connected with subways for a seamless interchange of trains. The state government and all other stakeholders have agreed to build an integrated terminal at Esplanade, from where the Metro traffic would be dispersed through underpasses.
“Unless Metro alignments are physically integrated, the seamless interface would not be possible. So there would be an integrated terminal structure, which will be in sync with the structural ethos of Esplanade. Howrah station complex, for instance, remains an architectural marvel for more than 100 years. We are also planning similar architectural designs for the Esplanade terminal,“ said a senior transport department officer.
A meeting has already been held by the officals of the state transport department, Metro Railway , Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation, RITES and Rail Vihar Nigam Ltd. While RITES will study the site for the terminal building and its integration with Metro alignments, there is a plan to rope in Delhi School of Architecture and Design for the architectural design of the building. Some cosmetic redesigning of the existing Metro gateways are also in the pipeline. “There will be a few more rounds of meeting among the stake-holders before the final blueprint is prepared,“ said a Metro official. As per preliminary discussions, there will be an underground walkway from the proposed terminal to the high court area. The proposal came keeping in mind the volume of footfalls the area witness on a daily basis. The walkway will be of immense help for regulars at the high court, Eden Gardens and the three football clubs -Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting. People who visit the Babughat bus terminus or take the ferry service will also benefit.
“The subways are often dismissed by town planners as they ultimately turn out to be devils' den.So, there are plans to cover the entire pathway with CCTV surveillance. It will be directly linked with the city police control room,“ said an officer.
The terminal is expected to change the face of Esplanade. With the colonial structure that is being planned for the terminal and the shifting of the bus termini to the outskirt will leave the heart of the city with a lot of breathing space. World Bank has already proposed for a land-use master plan of Esplanade. The route rationalization study by RITES is also being done keeping in mind the Metro expansion.
“For instance, buses and cabs along with para-transits like autos need to complement Metro and ferry services. This will not only decongest city roads but a lot of uncovered areas would come under connectivity ,“ said a RITES official.

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