State Govt Eyes Rs 41 Bn Sunderban Master Plan Project

03 Feb 2025 CW Team

Sunderban area is broadly classified under upper and lower delta. Discussions involved the master plan of the lower delta area. The islands that will come in the first stage of the project are: Namkhana, Mousuni, Sagar, Gosaba, Patharpratima, Chunakhali, Jharkhali, Sonakhali, Basanti, Kumirmari, Maipith, Deulbari, Debipur, Ghoramara, Hasnabad, Hingalganj, Bali, Satjelia, Chotomollakhali etc.

The major problems are the breaching of embankments due to erosion which leads to ingress of saline water. Such water is unfit for drinking, cooking or any other domestic use. It causes damage to the mangrove cover which acts as a shield against natural calamities which is almost an annual event in the Sunderban. “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has realised that simple academic discussions will be of no use until some constructive steps are taken for development of Sunderban which is home to nearly 50 lakh people. The Netherlands, renowned for its expertise in hydrology, is offering technical expertise while the World Bank is chipping in with funds,” Bhunia said.

The project involves Rs 41 billion of which a share of 30 per cent, Rs 12.3 billion will be borne by the state government and the rest by World Bank. The minister urged Manish Jain, principal secretary of Irrigation and Waterways department, to take it up at the appropriate level at the Centre with the consent of CM and Chief Secretary for necessary approval for project.

The state government is planning a Rs 41 billion project with financial assistance from World Bank that will seek to address issues of erosion hazards and salinity faced by residents of 39 islands in Sunderbans in the preliminary stage. Representatives from nine concerned departments of the state government led by Irrigation and Waterways minister Manas Bhunia held a meeting at Gosaba with an expert team from Netherlands and a team from World Bank. Sunderban area is broadly classified under upper and lower delta. Discussions involved the master plan of the lower delta area. The islands that will come in the first stage of the project are: Namkhana, Mousuni, Sagar, Gosaba, Patharpratima, Chunakhali, Jharkhali, Sonakhali, Basanti, Kumirmari, Maipith, Deulbari, Debipur, Ghoramara, Hasnabad, Hingalganj, Bali, Satjelia, Chotomollakhali etc. The major problems are the breaching of embankments due to erosion which leads to ingress of saline water. Such water is unfit for drinking, cooking or any other domestic use. It causes damage to the mangrove cover which acts as a shield against natural calamities which is almost an annual event in the Sunderban. “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has realised that simple academic discussions will be of no use until some constructive steps are taken for development of Sunderban which is home to nearly 50 lakh people. The Netherlands, renowned for its expertise in hydrology, is offering technical expertise while the World Bank is chipping in with funds,” Bhunia said. The project involves Rs 41 billion of which a share of 30 per cent, Rs 12.3 billion will be borne by the state government and the rest by World Bank. The minister urged Manish Jain, principal secretary of Irrigation and Waterways department, to take it up at the appropriate level at the Centre with the consent of CM and Chief Secretary for necessary approval for project.

Infrastructure Urban

05 May 2026

Meghalaya And Assam Hold Talks To End Transport Stoppages In Garo Hills

Meghalaya and Assam have opened talks aimed at ending recent stoppages of commodity transport in the Garo Hills, officials said. The deputy chief minister, in charge of home affairs, reported that both state governments are coordinating to resolve disruptions and to restore normal movement of goods. He acknowledged that misunderstandings may have contributed to the incidents and that clarification between administrative units is under way. The discussions are intended to produce practical arrangements that will allow consignments to move without hindrance while respecting local procedures. The..

Infrastructure Transport

05 May 2026

Kochi Metro Records 1.375 mn Rise In Passengers In FY26

Kochi Metro recorded a marginal rise in ridership in the financial year 2025-26, carrying 1.375 mn more passengers than in the previous year. The service carried 36.8 million (mn) passengers in 2025-26 compared with 35.5 mn in 2024-25, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.9 per cent. The growth was described as distributed rather than concentrated in isolated spikes. A month-wise analysis shows steady gains across quarters. In the first quarter, ridership increased from 8.57 mn to 8.84 mn, while the second quarter rose from 9.13 mn to 9.51 mn. These trends indicated broad-based improvemen..

Infrastructure Transport

05 May 2026

Ghaziabad Plans 16km Metro Link To Delhi Via Hindon Airport

Ghaziabad authorities are pursuing a 16 km metro link to Delhi that will run via Hindon Airport, and a detailed project report is under way. The plan is intended to improve connectivity between Ghaziabad and the national capital and to provide an interchange with the airport. Officials said the project is being studied to assess alignments, station locations and cost estimates ahead of formal approvals and tendering. The announcement follows the inauguration of the Delhi?Faridabad metro extension, which will offer hassle free travel for around 0.2 mn daily commuters between the national capita..