A shaft is being built inside the 235-year-old St Thomas’ Boys’ School in Kidderpore for an upcoming Metro corridor.
The shaft will be the gateway for a tunnel-boring machine that will build an underground line that will be part of the 15km Joka-Esplanade Metro line (purple line).
The Metro line is now functional between Joka and Majerhat. The corridor goes underground from Mominpore. The four underground stations are Kidderpore, Victoria, Park Street, and Esplanade.
“In order to construct this stretch, tunnel-boring machines (TBM) will be used. For construction of the first stretch from Kidderpore to Victoria station, a TBM will start working from inside the premises of St Thomas’ Boys’ School at Kidderpore,” the carrier said on Saturday.
“For this, a launching shaft is required. The construction of the shaft at St Thomas’ Boys’ School is going on. Once this work is completed, a TBM will start burrowing the underground tunnel,” it said.
The school was built in 1789.
The 15km corridor is being executed by the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). An official of the agency said the TBM for constructing the Esplanade-bound tunnel will start working first.
The agency has already got the clearance from the state forest department to plant 145 new trees at Joka Metro Railway depot in lieu of 28 trees at the site of Victoria station.
“For construction of Park Street station, Calcutta Police Club, Calcutta Kennel Club and Rajasthan Club will be relocated temporarily. For the normal operation of these clubs during the construction period, porta-type containers will be provided. Five such containers have already been installed on the adjacent vacant land on Park Street. Rest of the containers will be installed shortly,” said Kausik Mitra, the Metro spokesperson.
Kolkata Mounted Police Paddock and Riding School will have to be temporarily relocated to Shahid Minar for the construction of Esplanade Metro station.
“A no-objection certificate from the defence authorities has already been obtained,” Mitra said.
The Manohardas Tarag at Esplanade will have water drained out to make way for construction of tunnels underneath by cut-and-cover method.
“Once the construction is over, the water body will be refilled,” Mitra said.