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Kolkata- From the city of joy to a city of fountains!

By djain128, Section Development
Posted on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 08:53:44 PM EST

Come May and Kolkata will be called the city of fountains! Now, that may sound a little too ambitious to those who are used to the garbage-ridden streets in the city. But the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has taken up the project seriously.
A number of fountains are to come up in various parts of the city next month. Mayor Subrata Mukherjee informs, "We have already released Rs 5 crore for this. In another two months, five fountains will come up on the Maidan, opposite Birla Planetarium, five next to Victoria Memorial and three on the park around Tallah Tank."

According to the mayor, "this is just a beginning" of a comprehensive plan to improve the appearance of Kolkata's thoroughfares. The KMC intends beautifying quite a few of its shabby parks in the bargain and as Mukherjee says, "Fountains will form a major part of this beautification drive." The mayor hit upon the idea after the beautification of the five-acre garden opposite Rabindra Sadan was planned. The KMC sanctioned Rs 3 crore and work is
underway to set up fountains on the stretch between the south gate of Victoria Memorial and the Queen's Way. The mayor says, "But more money will be needed to cover all the parks under KMC. We shall start with the important ones like Deshbandhu Park, Deshapriya Park and Shradhananda Park. Gradually we shall beautify the other KMC parks."
"Kolkata has few open spaces. There is a general lack of maintenance of these parks. We want to improve the quality of some of the parks," says Mukherjee, adding, "I don't want foreign tourists to view the city as one filled with only beggars and pavement dwellers. At least the thoroughfares should look proper."
Nirmal Mukherjee, CPM leader of the Opposition, KMC, however, scoffed at the attempt as "the political stunt before Mukherjee signs out as Kolkata's mayor." Tourism minister Dinesh Dakua agrees that the parks are ill maintained. "When foreigners visit us, they mustn't take back a negative impression of the city. We have a lot to show in Kolkata. The only problem is the lack of maintenance," says Dakua.
And to this the mayor's reply is, "The onus isn't just on the KMC. It's up to the citizens to keep the city clean and green

Source The Times of India dt 04-04-2005 by AJANTA CHAKRABORTY
http://epaperdaily.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIM

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