Kolkata Beautification Projects

[AbhishekDatta]

Originally Posted by arijeetb

The intellectuals in this city ( and that includes environmentalists and any such persons with a public/social agenda) and in India are suffering from an identity crisis because the inherent human nature to tell and be heard has dwindled for them. There were times a few decades back when the govt paid more attention and importance to them, but the same is not the case today.

The dariwala painter might as well paint..but no he has to gang up and protest in front of Calcutta club to get that feeling of self worth and also be listened to. Same goes with the TMC dog lover who jailed a person because of alleged ill treatment of a dog and some dancers/artists in the TMC camp.

Coming to Kolkata, the public image is bad and that matters a lot in every sphere of life.

I am not sure how you got this impression... on the contrary kolkata after many years saw a downpour of these intellectuals on the street...they are one of the pillars of the change that we witnessed... entire delhi media is flooded with lokpal tussle between civil society and politicians...a person who was booked under sedation law is now member of a high profile central govt. committee .. what made you think otherwise?

dariwala,dog lover sound more like goutam deb... carry on..

[AbhishekDatta]

Originally Posted by Suncity

Let's look at the positive side. Even if just one kilometer of work is delivered in four to six months, it is a gain for Kolkata.

I guess pvt. players,if any, would be closely watching... there are plenty of money to be made if they plan properly... kolkata riverbank is one of the most under utilized zone with huge commercial potential .... is there any concrete proposal on 'Kolkata Eye'? kolkata badly needs something iconic...this can be a low hanging fruit which can change perceptions to some extent...

[AbhishekDatta]

London invite for Mamata
- UK foreign office minister promises ‘very good programme’ AMIT ROY IN LONDON

http://www.telegraphindia.com/111080...y_14324267.jsp

Jeremy Browne during his Calcutta visit and Mamata Banerjee
The British government will organise “a very good programme” for Mamata Banerjee if she takes up the invitation extended to her to visit London, Jeremy Browne, the foreign office minister who visited Delhi and Calcutta last month, has told Metro.

And her response?

“She was very open to that idea but I suspect that given that she has got 70 photographers waiting outside her office the whole time, she needs to address the here and now in Calcutta — I can’t speak for her (but) I think she would be interested in coming,” said Browne.

Mamata’s interest in making a London out of Calcutta is, of course, no secret. Last Tuesday, the chief minister launched a project to transform a riverfront dotted with decrepit landmarks into a 10km heritage trail modelled on the Thames backdrop.

“Given she made this aspirational comparison between Calcutta and London, that if there are areas of urban regeneration or transportation or whatever she felt that London might offer a guide as to how Calcutta might progress, then she would be very welcome to come and see this with her own eyes and we would arrange a good programme for her to make sure she saw it properly,” promised Browne.

The minister is back in London and has had a little time to reflect on his brief taste of Calcutta.

“She is unusual,” is Browne’s reply when asked what he made of Mamata, who is 56.

Clearly, the Bengal chief minister was unlike anyone in the upper reaches of British politics. “The Prime Minister of Britain is 44 years old, the deputy Prime Minister is 44, the leader of the Opposition is 41, a lot of western politicians are making a virtue of their youth, physical dynamism,” said Browne.

“She (Mamata) is physically small, she is not a physically overpowering person, far from it,” Browne went on. “She has quite a thoughtful style, quite a reflective style and (it’s) quite interesting to meet the person in whom so much hope is vested. She is not a swashbuckling politician – she clearly has great charisma. People respond to her.”

Browne was slightly taken aback by the size of the media team he saw camped at Writers’ Building. “There wouldn’t be more TV cameras and photographers if Sarah Palin announces she is running for the presidency of America – the level of public and media interest was just phenomenal.”

On his discussions with Mamata, Browne said: “She was initially on her own and then joined by a couple of the ministers and I was accompanied by (Sanjay Wadvani, British deputy High Commissioner in Calcutta) and a few who travelled with me. But it wasn’t a conference. It was in her office at her desk. And it was inevitably a fairly general discussion.”

“I said to her she would be very welcome to visit here….”

The minister explained that the British were slightly rethinking their foreign policy. The feeling was that it was not only important for Britain to develop relationships with the political and commercial capitals of a country but also with “hubs” such as Calcutta.

“It’s a huge city and people said to me it was the ‘second most important city of the empire after London’, which is backward looking,” said Browne. “But there is a relevant point to it which is that geographically it ought to be quite a hub. You could easily see it as the gateway into Southeast Asia; you can bounce across into Bangkok and into Malaysia and elsewhere and go west — a bridge across to China...it has not reaped the full benefits of being geographically situated where it is.”

The minister spelt out why a decision had been reached in the foreign office in London that it would be a good idea for him to visit Calcutta.

“What I was trying to do was make sure…. that the relationship was not just London to Delhi…. There are other cities for both political and commercial purposes in India that are of interest to the British government and are of interest to potential British businesses, British investors, and that by going there (to Calcutta) it’s a physical demonstration of interest.”

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by AbhishekDatta

London invite for Mamata
- UK foreign office minister promises ‘very good programme’ AMIT ROY IN LONDON

Please do add the hyperlink to the news article as per SSC guidelines.

Thanks

Never mind. I guessed from the fawning article that it had to be The Telegraph. I added the link and the quotes.

[Suncity]

A report by CNN-IBN

[soumalya747]

Originally Posted by Joy_ghosh02

I dont think the situation will much change even after 34 months. Mamta Banerjee is not going to remove the Hawckers which she clearely told manytimes.
TMC is in power in the the Kolkata corporation for more than one year but still there is no improvement in solid waste management at all.
May be she can remove the ugly and dirty bus terminus from Esplanade.
To make streets wider she will demolish houses !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO CHANCE.
Only A/C Buses and trams in Kolkata ?????? May be I m dreaming too much

Hawkers- All most 10lacks people are directly involved in the Hawking Business. Do you ever thought where this people will if Govt. remove the Hawkers. I am also against of Hawking but still we have to think about the poor guys too. And this hawking business in Kolkata is almost Rs.3000Cr big. So we have to think, both for Pedestrian and Hawkers.

Wide Road- If you go to any big city in Europe, you will find very narrow lane at there also. Even the percentage of Road at London city also not so impressive.

At the end of this artical I would like to say that I am not a blind supporter of Mamta Banerjee. But what ever she is trying to make Kolkata beautiful, I believe we should support her and give her atleast some time to develop the city.

[saurav_68]

Originally Posted by soumalya747

Hawkers- All most 10lacks people are directly involved in the Hawking Business. Do you ever thought where this people will if Govt. remove the Hawkers. I am also against of Hawking but still we have to think about the poor guys too. And this hawking business in Kolkata is almost Rs.3000Cr big. So we have to think, both for Pedestrian and Hawkers.

Wide Road- If you go to any big city in Europe, you will find very narrow lane at there also. Even the percentage of Road at London city also not so impressive.

At the end of this article I would like to say that I am not a blind supporter of Mamta Banerjee. But what ever she is trying to make Kolkata beautiful, I believe we should support her and give her at-least some time to develop the city.

Hawkers should be removed from the places like station,platforms,station premises,foot paths,govt. lands.Hawking can be allowed only on the Sunday and Saturday on some selected areas but not on the foot path,rather than the foot path they can use "THELAS or PUSH CARTS" for doing their business on some selected roads where no major vehicle passes,the road will be allocated by the govt.They will not do business in the weekdays and they should not make any permanent structures.Their should not be any sign of hawkers in the weekdays.

[dayalbaba]

hawking should be regulated, not abolished. portions of the pavement should be allocated to hawkers in return for license fees after allowing adequate space for pedestrians. the areas can be easily demarcated using coloured tiles during paving and any encroachment would attract fines and/or cancellation of license. permanent shops (not hawkers) should not be allowed to extend their wares or showcases onto the pavement under any circumstances.
there should also be strict regulations regarding waste disposal and minimum aesthetic standards.
the low cost hawker economy is a vital cog in kolkata's overall economy. the people who complain the most about hawkers are also the people who run to the nearest hawker's shop in times of need.

[arijeetb]

Originally Posted by AbhishekDatta

I am not sure how you got this impression... on the contrary kolkata after many years saw a downpour of these intellectuals on the street...they are one of the pillars of the change that we witnessed... entire delhi media is flooded with lokpal tussle between civil society and politicians...a person who was booked under sedation law is now member of a high profile central govt. committee .. what made you think otherwise?

dariwala,dog lover sound more like goutam deb... carry on..

If you are saying that people who call themselves intellectuals mobilized public opinion which eventually led to TMC coming in power you may be correct. I do not generally support intellectuals ( which mostly includes environmentalists, artistic people, certain social workers etc) or their ideas because I do not think they are way beyond the league of the common man to enjoy that kind of status.

How often does media in the US refer to intellectuals or in China for that matter ? Outside bengal , in other regions how often is this term used by the media? Why does Bengal need to take opinions of tons of intellectuals for a name change ? If Bengal feels pride in using this term they better shed this ego and think Bengalis as a whole are as good or as bad OR as clever or as stupid as the rest of the country. We cannot progress as a state if we think ill of or superior to others.

[dayalbaba]

our aantels are the biggest hypocrites on the face of this planet. when LF was doing wanton killings and massacres like marichjhapi (thousands of refugees killed by CPIM cadres) or burning alive 19 ananda margis in the heart of kolkata or the saibari massacre, they were busy looking the other way singing and writing revolutionary songs and poems. why ? because it was done by a so-called communist government.
but when the same govt as much as moved a finger for promoting industralisation they overnight became the enemies. and did I mention that beheadings and assorted terror attacks are acceptable and praiseworthy as long as it is done by maoists ?

these people want west bengal to stay poor, uneducated and undeveloped so that they can play kingmaker and lecture on poverty in their luxurious conferences (all paid by the govt of course) with glasses of imported liqour in hand.
because if the poor sods who live in WB get a wind of what is happening they will see through their bullcr*p and kick them to the dustbins.

[AbhishekDatta]

Gently by the stream
Mamata Banerjee has a tough task in trying to turn the Hooghly waterfront into the London Embankment, says Soumitra Das

Gwalior monument
Calcutta is at its most ugly and most picturesque along the riverside that stretches for more than 20 km from the north of the city up to Metiabruz and more in the south. Here, the footsteps of time are clearly imprinted on the innumerable ghats — 100 plus at least — that line the waterfront, some tiny ones cheek-by-jowl with each other, while others span several yards — between Sovabazar and Ahiritola ghats — reminiscent of the majestic Varanasi waterfront.

One of the Hooghly ghats near Bagbazar is actually named Sutanuti, harking back to the three villages which formed the nucleus or the kernel of the city that the British built three centuries ago. The ghats and lush greenery are like jewels that adorn the riverfront. But while the sap of life courses through the canopy of trees with foliage in varied harmonious arrangements straight out of Indian miniature paintings, the ghats, mostly built in the late 18th or 19th centuries, look like they cannot bear the burden of years any longer.


On Thursday afternoon, when the motorised boat, which we had hired after much ado from Belur ghat on the Howrah side of the river, veered closer to the Calcutta bank, I noticed that although Ratanbabu’s ghat looked spick-and-span, it has paid the price of hasty repair. About 25 years ago, when the ferry and boat service carried passengers as far as Barrackpore, I had on one trip noticed an elephant with its trunk raised balanced precariously on the pinnacle of this ghat, worn out and without much plaster left. This time I noticed that the ornamental elephant was gone.

It is not easy to hire a boat then and there if you want to sail along the entire stretch of the Hooghly. Most boatmen are afraid of the river traffic police. Ironically, we could do so only with some help from the same police department.


The hollowed out Mackinnon Mackenzie building
Two days before I went on this river cruise, I had attended Mamata Banerjee’s meeting at Millennium Park where she announced her plans to “Londonise” the Hooghly bank from Pramanik ghat in Cossipore to Taktaghat in Kidderpore by building a pathway. But a pathway is an impossible proposition given the innumerable shacks and tiny shops that dot the riverside.

The synergy between the old and the new resulted in the fascinating Thames Embankment in London. In Calcutta, we should be thankful if the garbage and the inescapable pollution are removed first. Our motorised boat or “bhutbhuti” had to stop midstream for some time as the underwater propeller got entangled in a plastic sheet.


Sriram Goenka ghat is overgrown with vegetation
The terrain along the Hooghly bank was as varied as the sizes and shapes of the ghats. A desolate stretch around Cossipore, from where baskets of clay were being excavated along the waterfront and carried by labourers on their heads, could easily have been a village. A dry dock occupied another section. Large bundles of plastic bags formed huge dumps along wide stretches where shantytowns burgeoned in another impoverished neighbourhood of Cossipore. In some areas, huge piles of garbage were visible from our boat, and untreated sewerage coursed steadily into the river. The smoke stacks of a power plant and factories darkened the skyline.


The steps between Sovabazar and Ahiritola ghats
While many of the ghats are in urgent need of repairs and whitewash, the unvarying spectacle of concrete boxes — actually apartment blocks — in the gaudiest colours forming their backdrop has caused permanent damage to the beauty of the waterfront. If one walks down Strand Bank Road, the assault on the olfactory sense can be deadly. There are hovels along the circular rail track, where people live in abject poverty, and the pathways serve as their open-air toilets. It is not their fault. The river is their only source of water.

This is a problem on Strand Road near Eden Gardens too. The other morning when I went for a walk on the pathway skirting the Fort William wall, I lost no time to get off the soiled pavement on to the main road, at considerable risk to life and limb. Cleansing their souls in the holy waters of the river matters more to the saffron-clad pilgrims, who have descended on this once-beautiful promenade in their buses, than cleansing the very place they have turned into their kitchen-cum-bedroom. The long-distance bus stand in front of the Eden Gardens compounds the problem.

Assets: Ghats & green


Rani Debendrabala ghat of the Paikpara zamindar family
Being high tide, the Hooghly was in spate. Hyacinth stalks floated on the surface of the turgid chicken soup-colour water. Youngsters who live in these areas turn into water babies and the more intrepid ones swim past the huge ferry boats carrying commuters. Unlike Ratanbabu’s ghat, the ghat constructed by two members of the De Pramanik family of Cossipore has nothing to distinguish it. The dome of an ancient building peeked through the trees, and next to it was the abandoned Eveready factory. Not even the cat with nine lives, which used to appear in its ads and was still prominently visible from the boat, could save it. A shake-hand distance away from it was the thakurbari of the Paikpara zamindar family, namely Rani Debendrabala’s ghat, ageing gracefully.

Many affluent Bengalis had settled down on this stretch of north Calcutta but the only tokens they have left behind of their riches are the magnificent mansions they often built along the banks. These phantom buildings still haunt the riverside. Equally ornate were some warehouses, the most conspicuous of which was the haunting Putulbari near the Sobhabazar wharf. On its highest point stood the centurion with the nubile beauties on both sides, throwing a challenge to the onslaught of time.


A power plant at Cossipore
The ghats, be they cast iron structures or brick-and-mortar constructions, were quaintly beautiful. While Dutta Babu’s ghat, Chanpatala ghat and Kumartuli ghat were crenellated and glowed like jewels, Ahiritola ghat and Rathtala ghat, which had the legend “Hurr Chund Mullik’s bathing ghat” scrawled on it, were made of cast iron and adorned with arches, their bodies crawling with flowering creepers fashioned out of the same hardy material. The balustrade in front of Nimtala ghat and Rabindranath’s memorial were painted a lurid yellow and green.

Pathuriaghat had three cast iron archways, whose dragon’s wing design would have done the Paris Metro proud. Sriram Goenka ghat adorned with a massive dome and close to Howrah Bridge was the last of the spectacular ghats. Parasites have gained ground around the dome.


The tower of a warehouse on Strand Road
Dalhousie Square lined with warehouses, majestic colonial buildings juxtaposed with ugly modern highrise structures bobbed into view. Strand warehouse had at last been demolished and the rubble was still visible. This outrageous instance of vandalism in recent times can only be matched by the demolition of the old State Bank of India building on the Strand in the past. Further down, only the façade of the stone-clad Mackinnon Mackenzie building remains. The rest was scooped out for the sake of development.

The tower of the warehouse next to the vacuum left by the Strand came into view, followed by a procession of magnificence — the Customs building, the Calcutta Port Trust and a red Railways office with the giant dome of the GPO squeezed in between and Metcalfe Hall. The New Secretariat building was shabby and forlorn, crying for whitewash.

After the Calcutta High Court spire, the bank became greener. Prinsep Ghat was not visible, the Hooghly having moved away ages ago. There were few encroachments here although this stretch was none too clean. But it should be easier walking down here. The procession of ghats and the abundance of greenery are the twin assets of our riverfront. We should learnt to protect them first before having pipe dreams about London by the Thames.

Photographs by BISHWARUP DUTTA

http://telegraphindia.com/1110807/js...y_14347444.jsp

[dayalbaba]

this london and switzerland fixation makes me want to



why not make kolkata and bengal the best it can be, which would hopefully leave those places in the dust in the future.

[debayanlahiri]

[sourav2010]

We have been hearing this for years that hawkers would be regulated on Kolkata roads,its a social issue so should be treated with a human angle and so on....during this time, the party in power has changed,but there seems to be no change in approach, on the ground level.now,this has just led to an explosion in the count of hawkers on city pavements in the last couple of years and this would just continue to go on in absense of any control measure from govt in near future also!
While I agree that hawking is a social issue in Kolkata,there are many families which earn their livelihood based on this, but is that applicable/true for every other hawker who has set up his shop on Kolkata pavement?? the answer is NO...there has been a huge influx of people from neighbouring states/countries in recent time (as earlier too),who have set up shop just to ''book'' and ''reserve'' their space on pavements of prime areas..if we go to Gariahat,Southern Avenue,Camac St,Theatre Rd ,Park St and JL Nehru side,the picture would become clear regarding this recent rise in hawker count. the parties in Bengal have never thought beyond their political benefits,but its a scary situation which they should now start thinking about! even if I forget the right of pedestrians for clean footpaths, the hawker menace will also start affecting the political,social and overall security of our city environment..
every other big city in India has got a sizeable amount of hawkers,but they are not so much unorganized in the way they are existing here in Kolkata. just enter the city from any part,you would be greeted with slum-like structures everywhere on footpath,broken roads and overall shabby look existing everywhere (be it a posh area or a market place)..
now that after so many years,people have welcomed a change in political scenario,can't we still expect a proper solution to this ever rising problem....
some possible solutions can be:-
1) Just stop allowing any hawker who have set up his/her in last one/two years.Enough time has already passed by,now its high time to act on this at the earliest!
2) Restrict hawking on the main arterial roads all over the city,specially the ones which fall on the way of entry to the city (like from Howrah/Sealdh Stns,Airport),metro stations,heritage zones and main arterial roads like Chowringhee,CR Avenue, Rash Behari Ave,SP Mukherjee Road,Old Ballygunge,EM Bypass etc.
3) Restrict hawkers from setting up shop at places other than traditional market areas,even in those areas there should be a specific zone earmarked for hawking. Any permanent structure or usage of polythene sheet should be strictly banned.walking down the streets around Gariahat/Hatibagan/New Market is like a nightmare at present.
4) There should be a strict vigil on the activities of hawkers.
5) Sector V should be a complete 'NO-HAWKING' zone.vendors selling food should be relocated to places specially designated as FOOD PARK or something on that line.
I don't think that just by beautifying the river front and installing showy lamp posts on roads would at all beautify the city. One of the biggest perennial problems of Kolkata, are its hawkers and overall road conditions. Unless these are propely taken care of,nothing is going to improve with the help of some 'cosmetic changes'!

[saurav_68]

Originally Posted by sourav2010

We have been hearing this for years that hawkers would be regulated on Kolkata roads,its a social issue so should be treated with a human angle and so on....during this time, the party in power has changed,but there seems to be no change in approach, on the ground level.now,this has just led to an explosion in the count of hawkers on city pavements in the last couple of years and this would just continue to go on in absense of any control measure from govt in near future also!
While I agree that hawking is a social issue in Kolkata,there are many families which earn their livelihood based on this, but is that applicable/true for every other hawker who has set up his shop on Kolkata pavement?? the answer is NO...there has been a huge influx of people from neighbouring states/countries in recent time (as earlier too),who have set up shop just to ''book'' and ''reserve'' their space on pavements of prime areas..if we go to Gariahat,Southern Avenue,Camac St,Theatre Rd ,Park St and JL Nehru side,the picture would become clear regarding this recent rise in hawker count. the parties in Bengal have never thought beyond their political benefits,but its a scary situation which they should now start thinking about! even if I forget the right of pedestrians for clean footpaths, the hawker menace will also start affecting the political,social and overall security of our city environment..
every other big city in India has got a sizeable amount of hawkers,but they are not so much unorganized in the way they are existing here in Kolkata. just enter the city from any part,you would be greeted with slum-like structures everywhere on footpath,broken roads and overall shabby look existing everywhere (be it a posh area or a market place)..
now that after so many years,people have welcomed a change in political scenario,can't we still expect a proper solution to this ever rising problem....
some possible solutions can be:-
1) Just stop allowing any hawker who have set up his/her in last one/two years.Enough time has already passed by,now its high time to act on this at the earliest!
2) Restrict hawking on the main arterial roads all over the city,specially the ones which fall on the way of entry to the city (like from Howrah/Sealdh Stns,Airport),metro stations,heritage zones and main arterial roads like Chowringhee,CR Avenue, Rash Behari Ave,SP Mukherjee Road,Old Ballygunge,EM Bypass etc.
3) Restrict hawkers from setting up shop at places other than traditional market areas,even in those areas there should be a specific zone earmarked for hawking. Any permanent structure or usage of polythene sheet should be strictly banned.walking down the streets around Gariahat/Hatibagan/New Market is like a nightmare at present.
4) There should be a strict vigil on the activities of hawkers.
5) Sector V should be a complete 'NO-HAWKING' zone.vendors selling food should be relocated to places specially designated as FOOD PARK or something on that line.
I don't think that just by beautifying the river front and installing showy lamp posts on roads would at all beautify the city. One of the biggest perennial problems of Kolkata, are its hawkers and overall road conditions. Unless these are propely taken care of,nothing is going to improve with the help of some 'cosmetic changes'!

+1000
I appreciate you.
The political leaders in West Bengal are the biggest chaotic elements,Mamata Banerjee and her party is one of the chaotic elements,Left Front started hwaking in kolkata and now TMC is nurturing it for their political gain.

[Joy_ghosh02]

Originally Posted by soumalya747

Hawkers- All most 10lacks people are directly involved in the Hawking Business. Do you ever thought where this people will if Govt. remove the Hawkers. I am also against of Hawking but still we have to think about the poor guys too. And this hawking business in Kolkata is almost Rs.3000Cr big. So we have to think, both for Pedestrian and Hawkers.

Wide Road- If you go to any big city in Europe, you will find very narrow lane at there also. Even the percentage of Road at London city also not so impressive.

At the end of this artical I would like to say that I am not a blind supporter of Mamta Banerjee. But what ever she is trying to make Kolkata beautiful, I believe we should support her and give her atleast some time to develop the city.

Hawkers- I still beleive all the hawkers should be removed from Kolkata specially from the important and busy streets. I think there are near about 2 lakhs hawkers in the Kolkata. Government can try to give them some other jobs (Mamta told many times that she will give 10 lakh jobs in next 3 years) or else Govt can build some kiosks for these hawckers( not in the busy roads). Atleast they will not be looking ugly.

Wide Road- I have visited lots of European cities like London, Paris, Berlin, Prague....... They have much much wider roads than in Kolkata. Anyway, I am not comparing all these cities with Kolkata, but if Govt wish, it can easily make the roads wider by removing illegal enroachers.

Even I also want to see my city beautiful, thats why I suggest what to do to make my city beautiful. We dont need highrise buildings and shopping malls to make our city beautiful. What we need is basic amenities, like wide and clean road, clean footpath without hawckers, garbage free footpath and roads, good transportation system, more parks and greeneries within the city, slum free area...........what else??

[khatbhej]

Frankly speaking, I see absolutely nothing in Thames embankment to look forward to for our own Ganga project. It is full of messy vegetation and the concretised banks look substandard because they are pretty old. The city itself is beautiful, which is why the pics come good. Otherwise, its not a good embankment.

Personally I find the Chicago River embankment a truly class work. We should try learning from that one! Here are some pics:







Thames embankment pictures are so bad I didnt bother to post them!

[Joy_ghosh02]

Hey Khatbej........ we were searching u in Kolkata Metro thread and you are here !!!!!!!!!. Frankly speaking these are only highrise buildings............ I did not like it.. Too much artificial...............

[samrat_m]

Originally Posted by khatbhej

Frankly speaking, I see absolutely nothing in Thames embankment to look forward to for our own Ganga project. It is full of messy vegetation and the concretised banks look substandard because they are pretty old. The city itself is beautiful, which is why the pics come good. Otherwise, its not a good embankment.

Personally I find the Chicago River embankment a truly class work. We should try learning from that one! Here are some pics:







Thames embankment pictures are so bad I didnt bother to post them!

These are like dream photos. Bhai Khatbhej, great aspirations but let's be practical, this is not what Kolkata can become. Not at least in next 100 years.

[studdmanster]

we dont even space for building the foundation for such huge structures...