Kolkata Municipal Corporation Unveils Deficit Budget with Major Infrastructure Push
In a significant move months before the upcoming assembly elections, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim presented a deficit budget of Rs 111 crore on Friday. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) budget, with total expenditure nearing Rs 6,000 crore for the first time, places strong emphasis on enhancing the city's infrastructure, with particular focus on road improvements, cleanliness initiatives, water supply, and drainage systems.
Major Road Repairs and Safety Enhancements Planned
The KMC has allocated a substantial Rs 334 crore to the roads department, marking a 40% increase from last year's revised estimates. This funding boost aims to repair all major thoroughfares and arterial roads, providing citizens with pothole-free commuting experiences. Roads that have become accident-prone due to surface undulations will receive special attention to improve safety for motorists and bikers alike.
"Apart from repairing roads, we will re-lay some arterial roads to eliminate dangerous undulations that pose risks to vehicles," explained a roads department official. Priority areas for these improvements include E M Bypass, Diamond Harbour Road, James Long Sarani, and the port vicinity.
The department plans to re-lay several other key roads using innovative materials:
- NSC Bose Road (Tollygunge)
- C R Avenue
- APC Roy Road
- Asutosh Mukherjee Road
- Burdwan Road
These roads will be resurfaced with bituminous asphalt modified with waste plastic, while Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road will receive mechanised mastic surfacing. Additionally, the department will install interlocking concrete block pavements on several stretches including James Long Sarani, MG Road in Haridevpur, Howrah bridge approach road, and Park Circus connector.
Enhanced Waste Management and Environmental Initiatives
The solid waste management department received a 23% budget increase as KMC works toward making Kolkata more environmentally sustainable. Plans include expanding the existing fleet of 300 battery-operated hydraulic dumpers to strengthen waste collection capabilities across the city.
A major undertaking involves establishing garbage-to-utility plants on a 73-hectare plot in Dhapa. The civic body also plans to construct a common biomedical waste treatment and disposal facility as part of its comprehensive waste management strategy.
Water Supply and Drainage System Modernization
Modernizing Kolkata's water supply, sewerage, and drainage infrastructure forms another crucial component of the budget. Mayor Hakim announced plans to complete water treatment plants and booster pumping stations for the Jadavpur-Tollygunge area while constructing a new 40 million-gallon water treatment plant at Garden Reach to serve lakhs of residents in south Kolkata and surrounding regions.
While the water department allocation shows a 90% increase, officials clarified that government grants primarily fund facility augmentations planned for 2025-26 that weren't included in the current budget figures.
The drainage department received a 30% budget hike, which will be utilized to revamp existing drainage pumping stations and complete ongoing construction projects aimed at mitigating waterlogging issues throughout the city.
This comprehensive budget reflects KMC's commitment to addressing Kolkata's infrastructure challenges while preparing the city for future growth and development, particularly as election season approaches.
