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The Hindu
13-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Adani Ports to join hands with Kolkata Port Trust to restore Kumartuli ghat in Kolkata
Kolkata Port Trust has joined hands with the Adani Ports to restore the historic Kumartuli ghat — a culturally significant site for city's history on the banks of Hooghly River — in the northern parts of Kolkata. The Kolkata Port Trust or Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ) on Friday (July 11, 2025) for the redevelopment, restoration, and beautification of the Kumartuli ghat. Speaking on the occasion, Rathendra Raman, Chairman of SMP Kolkata, said, 'Kumartuli Ghat is not just a site—it is a living legacy of Bengal's artistic soul. Through this partnership with Adani Ports, we are not only restoring a physical structure but also reviving a space deeply woven into Kolkata's cultural fabric.' This initiative comes as a part of the SMPK's Swachhata drive to help restore one of the oldest iconic ghats on the banks of river Hooghly, which is also the residence of the Durga idol artisans of Kolkata who reside beside the Kumartuli ghats for generations. 'Taking responsibility to renovate such a heritage ghat like Kumartuli, which is sentimentally very much linked to Kolkata, is definitely an honour for APSEZ Ltd.,' Subrat Tripathy, President, Business Development, APSEZ Ltd., said. The restoration work aims to preserve the heritage architecture of the ghat and to make it cleaner and safer for the residents of the area and also attract tourists to focus on the iconic waterfronts of the city. There are 39 ghats in the banks of Hooghly River, along with the Kumartuli ghat, the port authorities also plan to restore 4 more ghats in the area. 'Chotelal ghat, Mayer ghat, Telkal ghat, and Nimtala Immersion ghat are also next in line for restoration in the upcoming days. Kolkata Municipal Corporation, police, and all other stakeholders are involved in the restoration process,' official sources at the Kolkata Port Trust told The Hindu.
New Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Kolkata Diary: Civic body mulls tourist centre at city wetlands
Heritage-rich city ghat set for restoration The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata has entered an agreement with Adani Ports for redevelopment, restoration, and beautification of the historic Kumartuli Ghat in 'North Calcutta' — the ancient city. The agreement marks a significant move to rejuvenate a heritage-rich location along the Hooghly River. As part of the MoU, the Kumartuli Ghat — known for its legacy of traditional idol-making — will undergo heritage-compliant redevelopment and beautification, with due regard to environmental sustainability and cultural sensitivity. 'We are not merely restoring a physical structure but a space deeply woven into Kolkata's cultural fabric,' SMPK chairman Rathendra Raman said. Civic body mulls tourist centre at city wetlands The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) plans to develop a state-of-the-art tourist centre around the East Kolkata Wetlands, a Ramsar site i.e. protected for its ecological significance and biodiversity. Municipal & Urban Development minister and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim said the area will be made into a tourist attraction by protecting the natural beauty and biodiversity of the East Kolkata wetlands. The KMC has already sent a proposal to the state government in this regard. Neglected for long, the KMC finally plans to revive the ecologically-significant zones in the city, bringing houseboats, setting up restaurants and other activities for tourists. State govt to host business conclave The West Bengal government is set to host a business and industrial summit during the last quarter of this calendar year. Recently, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee chaired a meeting at State headquarters Nabanna, to take stock of the investment proposals and decided to host the conclave. Chief Minister's Principal Chief Advisor Amit Mitra said core sectors like steel, leather, apparel and hosiery, gems and jewellery, food, food processing and associated industries, and pharma and medical equipment sectors will be prioritised in the conclave. Moreover, the summit will also focus on boosting cultural and historical tourism in Bengal, the officer said. Kaushik Pradhan Our correspondent in West Bengal kaushik@
New Indian Express
12-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
SMP Kolkata partners with Adani Ports to restore Kumartuli Ghat on the banks of Hooghly
KOLKATA: Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ) for the redevelopment, restoration, and beautification of Kumartuli Ghat, a culturally significant site on the banks of the Hooghly River. The initiative is part of SMPK's Swachhata drive and marks a major partnership to revive a heritage landmark associated with Bengal's iconic idol-making traditions. The project aims to carry out heritage-compliant redevelopment with a focus on environmental sustainability and cultural preservation. Speaking on the occasion, SMPK Chairman Rathendra Raman said, 'Kumartuli Ghat is not just a site — it is a living legacy of Bengal's artistic soul. Through this partnership with Adani Ports, we are not only restoring a physical structure but also reviving a space deeply woven into Kolkata's cultural fabric. This initiative is a proud moment in our Swachhata drive, where heritage meets modern civic responsibility.'
NDTV
11-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Adani Group To Restore Kolkata's Historic Kumartuli Ghat
Kolkata: In a step towards preserving Kolkata's cultural heritage, the Adani Group has joined hands with the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), to rejuvenate the heritage Kumartuli Ghat, officials said on Friday. Kumartuli, a clay modellers' colony, is renowned for its idol-making tradition over several generations, they said. The initiative aims to make the ghat cleaner, safer and more accessible to artisans, locals and tourists, giving a fresh lease of life to one of the city's most iconic riverfronts. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Friday between SMPK and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) for the redevelopment, restoration and beautification of the historic ghat along the Hooghly river, under the port's 'Swachhata' initiative. The agreement marks a public-private partnership aimed at transforming the cultural landmark through heritage-compliant redevelopment, with due regard to environmental sustainability and civic responsibility. "This is not just a restoration project, but a revival of Bengal's artistic legacy," SMPK Chairman Rathendra Raman said. "It was an honour to help renovate a place so sentimentally linked to Kolkata's identity. This spot will be a source of pride for Kolkata as a tourist destination," the president of Business Development, APSEZ, Subrat Tripathy, said. The development will be confined to the Kolkata port area, and the group has already engaged design architects, who are currently developing the project, he added. Over the years, Kumartuli Ghat has faced neglect, riverbank erosion, poor waste management, and declining infrastructure, sources said.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Adani Group to restore, beautify Kumartuli Ghat
Kolkata: Adani Group is set to develop the historic Kumartuli Ghat. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) for the redevelopment, restoration and beautification of the ghat. An official of KpT pointed out that the agreement, signed at the SMPK head office, marks a significant partnership with the private sector to rejuvenate a cultural and heritage-rich location along the Hooghly river. As part of this MoU, the Kumartuli Ghat — known for its legacy in traditional idol-making — will undergo heritage-compliant redevelopment and beautification, with focus on environmental sustainability and cultural sensitivity. An official of Adani Group said that the redevelopment project was part of the CSR initiative of Adani Port. "This is the first time we will redevelop a ghat along the Ganges," the official added. He added that architect Anjan Mitra has been appointed for planning the redevelopment. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Rathendra Raman, chairman, SMP Kolkata, Subrat Tripathy, president, business development, APSEZ Ltd, and Sanjay K Thade, consultant, APSEZ, were present during the MoU signing. Raman said, "Kumartuli Ghat is not just a site, it is a living legacy of Bengal's artistic soul. Through this partnership with Adani Ports, we are not only restoring a physical structure but also reviving a space deeply woven into Kolkata's cultural fabric. This initiative is a proud moment in our Swachhata drive, where heritage meets modern civic responsibility." He added, "We deeply appreciate Adani Ports' commitment to this vision. Their contribution will be visibly acknowledged at the ghat, reminding all visitors of what collaborative action can achieve." Tripathy said that taking responsibility to renovate a heritage ghat like Kumartuli, which has emotional connect with Kolkatans, was an honour for them. KpT officials added that the restoration effort will not only preserve the heritage architecture of the ghat but will also make it cleaner, safer, and more welcoming to artisans, locals and tourists alike, thus giving a fresh lease of life to one of Kolkata's most iconic waterfronts.
