New Market clock tower restoration starts, exterior repair to begin after rain spell ends
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Kolkata: Work on the repair and restoration of the New Market clock tower has finally begun. Masons have started work inside the tower on Friday, chipping off the damp and portions of the plaster in which cracks appeared.
Once the current spell of rain ends, scaffolding will be installed to enable exterior repair work.
"Work on restoring the iconic New Market clock tower has started in earnest. Since it has been raining over the past few days, we have started working inside the tower. The scaffolding materials are in place. As soon as there is a dry spell, the scaffolding will be installed around the tower and work will begin on its exterior as well," said restoration architect Anjan Mitra, who is executing the prestigious project that is scheduled to be completed before Poila Baisakh next year.
The tower with the four-faced clock and its Westminster chimes that survived monsoons and storms for nearly a century was left severely battered by cyclonic storm Amphan in May 2020. Lack of maintenance thereafter caused further damage. Water seeped in, causing cracks in the structure.
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The timber floors and decorative elements, including cast iron railings, got corroded. The wooden slats in the spire have fallen apart, and the Westminster chimes and hourly dongs have stopped.
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Portions of the intricate glasses that made up the 7-ft diameter dials went missing, and wild vegetation has taken root. "We will have to strengthen the structural stability of the tower, stop seepage of water, repair the flooring and the interior, improve light and ventilation, replace damaged artwork, and overhaul the clock and its chiming mechanism.
The entire work will take around six months," said Mitra, who has restored the Metropolitan Building, Howrah Town Hall, and Sister Nivedita's house.
The clock tower is the most defining architectural feature in the 151-year-old New Market. While Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), which owns the market, announced plans two years ago to carry out a thorough repair and revamp of the market to mark its 150th anniversary, it has been unable to set the ball rolling despite funds being approved by the state govt. A private firm, Techno Electric, has now stepped in to fund the clock tower's restoration.
"I came to the city 50 years ago as a bank employee, ventured into business, and established myself. It feels good to be able to do something for the city,"company MD, P P Gupta said.
Once the repair work of the top section of the tower is complete, clock mechanism experts Swapan and Satyajit Dutta, the father-son duo that has repaired and revived multiple public clock mechanisms in the city in recent years, will undertake the restoration of the Gillett & Johnston clock of the UK. "The overhaul will take around two months," said Satyajit.
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