Howrah landslide: State to rehabilitate 96 families in Belgachia under Banglar Bari

Kolkata: The State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs (UD & MA) Minister Firhad Hakim announced on Tuesday that the state will construct homes and rehabilitate 96 affected families in Belgachia, Howrah under the Banglar Bari scheme.

Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) will also take up work for drainage infrastructure and roads in and around the affected areas of Belgachia. Hakim, who is also the chairman of KMDA held a meeting with concerned officials of UD & MA department regarding the situation at Howrah on Tuesday.

“The big roads, drainage of Howrah will be done by KMDA like that of Panihati Municipality. The decision regarding the dumping ground which will be biomined and the Banglar Bari project for rehabilitation of the affected residents will be the responsibility of Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The house construction may take 18 months,” said Hakim, who is also the Mayor of Kolkata.

The Jadavpur University (JU)experts have already collected land samples of the landfill site and will do the necessary testing.

The final decision regarding the fate of the landfill site will be taken on the basis of JU report, said Hakim.

Hakim personally inspected the site where a landslide had occurred disrupting water connections and leaving many homeless with houses developing cracks on Monday.

“Due to massive garbage accumulation, the soil in the landfill site is losing its bearing capacity. People had set up homes illegally decades back in and around this site,” Hakim had said on Monday.