Floating markets are well-known all over the globe. While India has been behind on this front, but now, it will not be anymore. The Kolkata city is all set to make history by adding a floating market in 2018. This unique and incredible floating market is first in India and third in Asia. The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) in association with the municipal corporation has revamped a water body in Patuli area into a one of a kind such unique market that will house around 200 shops.

Local Councillor Arup Bhattacharya said, “It is one of the huge initiatives in the city. People often visit Kolkata to see Howrah Bridge and Victoria memorial, but from now onwards they will come to see this one of a kind market.” Bhattacharya has also initiated the dream project of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Bhattacharya further added that “Our Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim recently visited Bangkok to attend a seminar and there he saw a floating market and decided to imitate a similar market in Kolkata. There is no floating in India and the one which you see at Kashmir’s Dal Lake is an unorganized one. “The floating market will be divided into four sections respectively – meat, fish, grocery, and vegetables.

The passageway on the water body will help people reach their respective sections, and there will be also a floating boat shop on each side of these passageway’s that would be used to sell goods. The shopkeepers who were expelled from the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass area due to road widening will be now refurbished in the floating market.

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These water bodies will work as natural drainage systems. During, the monsoon, rainwater used to collect here. Now the drainage system has been repaired and an aerator machines will be installed in the water body to remove the organic waste.

At last, Kolkata is getting something better than Mamata Banerjee.