A view of Eco Tourism Park

One is a morning walker’s track by dawn and lover’s paradise by day. The other has been drawing family crowds in thousands all winter. One has a quiet, laid-back setting and the other is bubbling with activity. One has been a formidable player for nearly 25 years and the other has just turned one.

Central Park in Salt Lake and Eco Tourism Park in New Town are the lungs of their respective townships. Yet their characters are distinct and regulars at one park are unlikely to change loyalties for the other.

first look

While Banabitan, in Central Park, has handsome trees and is dotted with seasonal flowers, it lacks the glamour that Eco Tourism Park flaunts. The landscaped gardens, waterfalls and sculptures at New Town are world class and in the evening the lighting adds to the sheen.

Both have water bodies with boats on hire but while none of them may be taken at Central Park even on a Sunday afternoon, there are hour-long queues for shikaras at New Town. Facilities at the Eco Tourism Park are just about a year old and so are in tiptop condition. But corners of Central Park have heaps of leaves waiting to be cleared and rusty old paddle-boats dumped aside.

Central Park is spread across 70 acres, out of which Banabitan occupies 56 acres. This part has lofty trees, lawns, rose gardens, an orchid house, butterfly gardens and a 15-acre water body. Senior citizens head here for exercise every morning and couples are known to cosy up behind the bushes the rest of the day.

Boats await visitors at Central Park. Pic: Saradindu Chaudhury

It’s no secret that the couples turn off other visitors. “I had taken my guests from the US to Central Park hoping to show them the greenery but it was so embarrassing that we had to rush out immediately,” says Sushila Sripad, a senior citizen of HB Block. The park does have a children’s play area next to Netaji Park that is fairly crowded on weekends and couples are barred from entering it.

Eco Tourism Park is spread across 480 acres and was opened in December 2011. Its second phase was inaugurated by chief minister Mamata Banerjee on December 27 and now sports a butterfly park, a mask garden, a musical fountain etc.

The light-and-sound fountain show is at 5.30pm, 6.30pm and 7.30pm daily and has become a major attraction, drawing applause from spectators. Set in the lake, there is constant upward flow of water from the fountain, creating an aqua curtain. Images and videos are then projected on this curtain while more water jets out from the sides to the rhythm of music.

Visitors being carted around in Eco Tourism Park. (Amit Datta)

“My daughter started dancing on seeing the musical fountain,” said Ajanta Nandy, an NRI who has come to Calcutta from Paris for the winter. “I’m impressed to see such a beautiful eco-friendly destination in an otherwise polluted city.”

Eco Tourism Park also has tropical rain forests, bamboo gardens and tea gardens but the plants here are young and it will be years before they are as handsome as the trees in Central Park.

“Central Park is about natural beauty whereas the New Town park has come up overnight and looks like a beautiful but artificial amusement park,” says Mrityunjay Mitra, a Beleghata resident visiting the New Town Park. “The ban or forest feel of Banabitan is not there at Eco Tourism Park.”

Activity hub

The New Town park has adventure sports options that make children squeal in excitement. Zorbing, water rolling, kayaking, archery, rifle shooting, cycling and joyrides on battery-operated golf carts are already available and by the end of January, rock climbing, pump track for bicycles, zip line and rope course should also start.

The children’s park to the north of Eco Tourism Park.(Saradindu Chaudhury)

“We have six tandem bikes and they have all been out the whole day,” said Sudhakar Gupta from behind the counter on a Sunday night. “Such is the rush that we’ve even kept a mechanic on standby. We don’t want to disappoint any customers.” The bikes cost Rs 100 for a 20 minute ride. Golf cart rides from one end of the park to the other cost Rs 50 per person.

Shruti Baher had come to Eco Tourism Park to celebrate her December 29 birthday. “It’s my best birthday ever. I saw the musical fountain, played badminton, entered a maze and emerged out of it all by myself,” said Shruti. Her family comprising 27 members, ranging from two-year-old Aditya to 62-year-old grandfather Gopi Kishen Baher, had brought along cake and food to last the whole day. There was something in the park for everyone to do.

A food court building there has come up but food is yet to be available. The Biswa Bangla Haat has been selling works by artisans from the districts, and though many of the stalls are yet to be occupied, they did business of over Rs 1.5 lakh in their first two days.

Central Park in bloom. (Saradindu Chaudhury)

Compared to this there may be little for visitors to do at Central Park but regulars there do not complain. “The most popular activity at this park is dating and the authorities need upgrade no infrastructure to help us with that,” said a couple leaving Central Park. “On the contrary popular activities would draw huge crowds and that would make it difficult for us to blend into oblivion.”

Another couple is grateful for the laid-back nature of Central Park. “It’s mostly couples who come here and everyone minds their own business so we get our privacy. The city frowns upon public display of affection so we can’t get close to our loved ones at City Centre.

Central Park is a boon for us.” The couples say Eco Tourism Park is too crowded for them.
Central Park has butterfly gardens too but unlike the net-enclosed one at New Town, it is open to air. While that makes it difficult for visitors to spot butterflies, the employees say it is best for the insects. “An enclosed park is like a zoo. We let our butterflies free,” says Subhojit Majumdar of Nature Mates, the group that maintains the butterfly garden.

Central Park scores high in attracting birds too. “Birds, especially migratory ones, seek water bodies and a part of the lake at Central Park has been left undisturbed for them. Bird-watching groups come here in the morning,” says Sripad, herself a bird-watcher. The park is known for its Parakeets and Egrets. Though Sripad is yet to visit Eco Tourism Park, she says birds would not go there if there are boats sailing all over the lake.

Another popular winter activity at Central Park is angling but this year it has been called off as the lake had got polluted in June when an under-water sewage pipe burst and killed many fish. “The water in the lake has now been treated and new fish introduced but these fish need time to breed before we allow angling again. It will not be possible this year,” says R.K. Mahtolia, additional principal chief conservator of forest, conservation and extension, forest department. Central Park is under the urban and recreational forestry department, under the parks and gardens wing of the forest directorate.

Mahtolia also has plans of starting a section in Central Park to showcase the state’s flora and fauna.

Outside Banabitan, Central Park is home to a cricket academy, the municipal sports ground where football is played and next to which a swimming pool is set to open. The big-ticket Bidhannagar Mela takes place on the park’s fairground. The park also includes the local and international bus terminus, Nazrul Park, Swamiji’s statue and the upcoming East West Metro terminus.

Timing & transport

While a section of visitors to Central Park go there for morning walks, Eco Tourism Park is of no use to morning-walkers since it doesn’t open before noon. This is also a lost opportunity for photographers. “Early morning is a great time for photography as the natural lighting is beautiful. I often go to Central Park in the morning to click birds and insects but I am not able to do that at Eco Tourism Park,” says Rangan Datta of Salt Lake’s AA Block.

Visitors on a tandem bike.(Saradindu Chaudhury)

Then again Central Park closes at 5pm leaving no option for evening- walkers. The New Town Park closes daily at 8pm and it is also closed on Mondays. Buses are available to and from Eco Tourism Park but most are headed to Karunamoyee and the airport. But there are buses, autos and rickshaws headed to all parts of the city from Central Park since Karunamoyee crossing is nearby.

For those travelling by car, parking space is available outside both parks but while no one charges a fee outside Banabitan, the Eco Tourism Park charges Rs 50 flat for four-wheelers and Rs 10 for two-wheelers. Entry to Central Park is free till 10am and thereafter costs Rs 25 for adults and Rs 10 for children. Eco Tourism Park costs Rs 10 to enter.

We’re getting unprecedented crowds this season,” said Debasish Sen, chairman cum managing director of Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation that is in charge of the park. “On December 29, we got 25,000 visitors. The queues to enter the park were serpentine so we’ve added more ticket counters and temporary toilets.”

Migratory birds in Central Park. (Amit Datta)