What was once an abandoned park with garbage dumps on its sides had been turned into Howrah’s biggest amusement park spread over 25 acres, complete with rides, water parks, mini-auditorium, lake and museum. Adding to this list will be the tallest tower in the state, a 400 ft structure that will provide a bird’s eye view of Howrah and Calcutta to those who will care to scale it.
Belilious Park inaugurated in 2005 had never taken off. There were few visitors and the Big Bazar that was accommodated within the park premises shut shop because of dwindling footfalls.
In a bid to revive the park’s fortunes, builder Ram Ratan Chowdhury is now building this tower that is taller than Calcutta’s monument and Delhi’s Qutub Minar. Called the Panchdeep Tower, after the construction company that will build it, Panchdeep Constructions Ltd, it will be 42 storied with five decks at intervals of 80 feet each. “At the decks, visitors can have a panoramic view of Howrah and also Calcutta,” said Chowdhury. At the top two decks, there will be high- powered telescopes that will help visitors to have a long range view.
The tower will have a 60 ft diameter base and an equally wide top with the middle being 20 feet in diameter. “The circumference is three times the diameter,” said Chowdhury. There will be two elevators in the tower that will take visitors to the decks. “There won’t be any stairs, only elevators to take visitors up and down the tower,” said Chowdhury.
Construction of the tower will begin on May 23 and it will take two years to be completed. The project is being implemented along with the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC), which is the owner of the park. “The Belilious Park was built as a PPP project and the tower will be a part of that project only,” said Chowdhury. “The design of the tower has been approved by the civil department of Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology (IIEST). We have also got clearance from the aviation department for such a tall tower,” said Chowdhury.
Now, whether, the tallest tower will bring back visitors to the park is another question altogether. The 25-acre park on Belilious Road has an entry fee of Rs 25 per head with extra charges for rides and boating. A 15 bigha lake on the park provides for much entertainment, including boat rides. Then there are water sports, water park, mini cinema hall and even banquet halls to entertain corporate clients.
Though Chowdhury cites footfalls like 5,000 during weekends and 2000 during weekdays, the park stands desolate and lonely in most days.
By Our Staff Reporter
