Tolly’s Nala - Taj

One hour visit of the canals with the Dutch. Jaap confirmed the starting point:

Dear all,
As announced, the venue next Sunday will at the Kudghat bus stand at 7.00 am. I enclose a map: on screen it is difficult to read but when you print it outit becomes clearer. I did not want to send you an attachment of more than 1MB.So follow the Deshpran Shaswal road. At a certain moment you have, comingfrom the city, on your right hand the Tollygunge Metro station. I have supposed that is a landmark everyone can find, it is near the Calcutta Golfclub. Just after the metro station, turn left into the Baburam Gosh road.(Not the Netaji Subhas Bose road).At T-crossing keep left into the Chandi Ghosh road. At the end you will see the works of the new metro line (Tollygunge-Garia) and you arrive at the busstand. If this is not clear, I will be at the British club Thursday evening or please phone my mobile 9830735776.

Now what are these Dutchmen doing?We provide the KMC and the IWD (Irrigation and Waterways DepartmentWest-Bengal) technical assistance in a project called Kolkata EnvironmentalImprovement Project (KEIP). This is a project funded by the AsianDevelopment Bank, with a total value of around $230 million as which has amajor component Sewerage and Drainage.In total, it is foreseen to construct around 450 km of underground sewersfor wastewater and stormwater (we call stormwater the water that runs offthe roofs and the streets when it rains). Major objective is to collect thewastewater and pump it to wastewater treatment plants to purify it andconvey the stormwater, without flooding, towards the drainage canals ofCalcutta and finally to Hoogly or Kulti river. So rehabilitation (cleaning,reshaping) of 100 km of canals is also part of the project. You should knowthat the underground sewers are KMC property and the open canals IWDproperty: that is why the project has two clients.So in the areas where the project will intervene, we aim at a situation thatno untreated wastewater is dumped during dry weather in the open canals (asis now the case, but that you will see). And that flooding and stagnantwater during rainfall will be less. The project areas are the so-called 'added areas" of KMC, the means not the city centre but just around, likeborough XI and XIII, XIV, XII (around EM bypass), I (up north) and XV(Garden reach). If you are interested, I can tell you if your residence area is concerned by the project.Tolly's Nulah has a long history and was once a Ganges branch. Now it isused as a drainage canal and it ends up in the Hoogly near the Taj. I remember smelling the bad odours once we were in the swimming pool of theTaj but I know I have a special nose for waste water.

At the spot we will visit, the first thing you will see is the constructionof the metro line and the Kudghat metro station. That has nothing to do withour project, but somebody decided that that metro line should be constructed over Tolly's Nulah. (No place elsewhere and probably cheaper than underground). The only thing that intervenes with our project is that at that spot the Nulah is actually almost totally blocked during the metro construction. But Metro promised that they will clean up their mess when the construction is finished. A little downstream you will see the Tolly's Nulah without that Metro business. At the spot where we will be, you will also see an existing sewage pumping station, which is supposed to pump the sewage towards an existing wastewater treatment plant in the Keorapukur area, but that does not function and actually the pumping station pumps the wastewater into Tolly's Nulah. The project will repair this.

We will also walk a little bit along the Keorapukur canal, a branch of Tolly's Nulah and I will show you a defunct sluice and a defunct pumping station. The water level in Tolly's Nulah goes up and down with the tidal movement at Hoogly. So all you will see is the actual situation, which does not make one happy, but underlines the need of improvement. The execution of the new works will start very soon now, in about two months. Until now, we have been mainly occupied in design, preparation of tender documents and choice of the contractors.

The project will last atleast until 2007 (? May be 2009). So when in a year or two from now you will have a romantic walk in themoonshine across for instance the Alipur bridge or the bridge near the Tajacross the Tolly's Nulah, just open your nostrils and we hope that the specific wastewater odours will have gone. And if you become an addict of visiting dirty canals, flooded areas, wastewater flowing in the streets etc as my wife says I am, I have another 95 km of canals and lots of dirty streets to show you.
See you on Sunday,
Jaap

Dear hashers,

We had a very interesting walk with Jaap along the Kudghat bazaar and canals where he explained all the Sewerage and Drainage problems of the area. After the Kaal Baishakhi lightning and thunder storm on Sunday night, those of us who went on the Hash will be wondering what the winds and stormwater (rainwater) did to the area we visited.
The major objective of the Kolkata Environmental Improvement Project (KEIP) is to collect the wastewater and pump it to wastewater treatment plants to purify it and convey the stormwater, without flooding, towards the drainage canals ofCalcutta and finally to Hoogly or Kulti river. So rehabilitation (cleaning, reshaping) of 100 km of canals (now being used as dumping ground by the locals) is part of the project. We wish the Dutch every luck with the Kolkata Environmental Improvement Project (KEIP). Thanks Jaap for a very interesting and informative hash walk.

Joining us on our walk was an American Consulate guest from Washington as well as Alison an American lady working in Calcutta for the last 6 yrs in an NGO teaching computer skills to deaf and underprivileged youth.

Next week, there is a change in schedule as the Mayor of Calcutta will be officially unveiling the Hash sign at Park Street cemetery at 10 am. There will be press coverage too. Hashers should meet at the Horticultural gardens entrance on Belvedere Road at 7 am. After breakfast at the Taj, hashers will then go to Park Street Cemetery for the unveiling of our landmark in Calcutta! Thanks and congratulations everyone for the joint effort.

17th April Sun 7 am Horticultural Gardens, 10 am Park Street Cemetery
Patricia, (French lady from Marseilles who has seen Louise Atttaque perform), and I look forward to seeing the hashers at Bow Barracks to enjoy this French concert in Calcutta.

French Embassy in India, Alliance Francaise de Calcutta and The Telegraph in collaboration with Bow United Organisation present:"LOUISE ATTAQUE attacks Bow Barracks"Tuesday 12 April, 7 pm@ Bow Barracks, next to Bow Bazar Police Station (behind Indian Airlines onCentral Avenue)
Opening performance by NEEL & NEEL
LOUISE ATTAQUE, "One of the best young French rock n'roll band"The accompaniment is excellent folk-rock offset by violin pieces that fit invery effectively. This Musical Group of the Year 1999,and theperform at festivals, delighting the public. Their success is phenomenal and is sooncrowned by the title, in extraordinary sale of 2.5 million albums sold since 1997.
ALL ARE WELCOME