East-West Metro Becomes Kolkata's Lifeline Amid Protests

30 Aug 2024 CW Team

The East-West Metro in Kolkata proved to be an essential lifeline for commuters as it joined forces with the North-South Metro to ferry passengers underground while clashes erupted on the streets between police and protesters. The Esplanade-Howrah Maidan section of the East-West Metro became the sole means of travel between Kolkata and Howrah, transporting over 47,000 passengers by 5 pm, significantly surpassing its average daily ridership since its launch in March.

Metro officials anticipate that the total ridership could exceed the record 70,000 passengers on the corridor's opening day, March 15. Meanwhile, the North-South Metro carried around 3 lakh passengers by 5 pm, nearing its usual daily ridership of 5 lakhs.

From early morning, commuters from both cities crowded into the four metro stations, knowing there was no alternative for crossing the Hooghly River.

The 'Chhatra Samaj' protests led to a complete halt in road transport on the Howrah side of the river, leaving buses, taxis, and app cabs off the roads. Many commuters, like musician Soumendu Das from Mandirtala, relied on the metro to reach Kolkata for work, only to find themselves stranded without transport options in the evening.

Despite the inconveniences, commuters were grateful for the metro. Kalighat resident S K Das, 72, shared, "If it hadn?t been for the new metro, we would have missed the Rajdhani Express." Nirmal Das, a Mecheda resident working at the Esplanade post office, recounted his first under-river metro journey with mixed emotions, noting that while he had planned to try the new metro line, the protests forced him to do so sooner than expected.

This event highlights the critical role of Kolkata?s metro system in maintaining connectivity during times of crisis, providing an essential service when all other transport options fail.

Real Estate

07 Jul 2026

Pecan Realty Completes Rs 1.5 Billion Transactions

Pecan Realty has recently completed four institutional transactions worth over Rs 1.5 billion over the past two years, strengthening its position as an execution-led real estate platform. The deals include resolution-led acquisitions, structured finance transactions and capital partnerships across its development portfolio.The transactions covered acquisitions through the National Company Law Tribunal process and helped provide repayment or exits to both private and public sector lenders. The company said the deals demonstrate its ability to resolve complex project situations, work with instit..

SNN Estates Expands North Bengaluru Housing Project

SNN Estates has announced an expansion of its SNN Estates Felicity residential project in North Bengaluru following strong buyer demand, with 75 per cent of the first-phase inventory sold within three days of launch.The developer will add 76 apartments in the new phase, taking the project's estimated revenue potential to around Rs 1,000 crore upon completion of Phase 2.Spread across 6.5 acres in Rachenahalli, near Manyata Tech Park, the project comprises 604 apartments in 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and 4 BHK configurations. The development includes a 50,000-sq-ft clubhouse with amenities such as sports co..

SCG Drives ASEAN Industrial Transformation Strategy

SCG is strengthening its focus on ASEAN as a key growth region by advancing industrial transformation, enhancing competitiveness and building resilient regional value chains. Thammasak Sethaudom, President and Chief Executive Officer, SCG, highlighted the need for industries to continuously develop capabilities, strengthen resilience and deepen regional cooperation to achieve sustainable long-term growth.SCG views ASEAN as an important growth engine alongside China, supported by favourable demographics, trade connectivity and investment flows. With ASEAN’s GDP projected to grow by around 4.7..