Solar Dome:
Located behind the herbal garden near Gate 6 of Eco Park, the solar dome has been in the making for years. But the authorities expect it to be ready by March. This project has been jointly executed by the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) and the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company. The dome is 28.95m high, with five floors, and 45m in diameter. Built on 2.89 acres, the dome will have permanent exhibitions on energy consciousness and sustainability concepts suitable for both children and adults. One can to walk up a ramp and descend by an elevator. The dome can produce 332KW solar power at high noon.
SHOWCASE SPACE:
The exhibition space being built next to Biswa Bangla Convention Centre
The Biswa Bangla Exhibition Centre might have been inaugurated by the chief minister on November 21 during the Bengal Global Business Summit that took place at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre next door but work is still left. The authorities expect it to be ready by February. But bookings have started being taken for the state-of-the-art exhibition hall, spread over about 2 lakh sq ft. The first event will take place on Saturday. It can even be used for weddings as there is a pantry and kitchen built inside. The concrete foundation is strong enough to support a fully loaded truck which can go in through rolled up shutters, unload and drive out.
Sensory park:
Under development for a long period, the Smart City project in Action Area II near Neem Banani is a smart sensory playing arena for children with all kinds of impairments. The park covers an area of 2.5 acres.The park will be broadly divided into two zones — physical outdoor play areas and sensory galleries. The physical outdoor play areas will cater to motor, language and social skills of children with special needs with developmental challenges. The sensory gallery will be interactive and will provide information-based experiences to visitors. The park will be barrier-free and have wheelchair facility.
An aerial view of the sensory park in New Town
Boost for Aircraft Museum:
The decommissioned Tupolev Tu-142 of the Indian Navy that is the attraction at the museum next to the Biswa Bangla Gate can soon be accessed in a more interesting way. Currently one has to walk to it across the field and climb stairs. An aerobridge-like ramp is being built to take the visitor directly from the ticket counter to the aircraft. On the way, there will be exhibits, both visuals and models, dealing with the armed forces, so that visitor is engaged while approaching the aircraft. The ticket counter will be moved from the current location to a separate gate.
The ramp of the aircraft museum under construction
IT sunrise:
Two important IT projects, both located in Action Area III in New Town, are set to take off in 2024. Infosys is expected to inaugurate the first phase of its campus in Bengal in 2024. The IT major, which has 50 acres of land with flexibility to use it in part for non- IT purposes, had earmarked an investment of Rs 100 crore in the first phase of its development centre where over 1,000 engineers are expected to get employed. Infosys has already started operations in Bengal last year operating out of Mani Casadona in New Town, creating employment for around 400 people.
ITC is setting up a global knowledge campus with estimated employment potential of over 1200. The ITC Infotech Park in New Town is also expected to be inaugurated in 2024, with the project on the verge of completion. The IT arm of ITC has taken around 36 acres of land in New Town for the project.
eat-and-hang out point:
A second food truck zone has been planned by the New Town Kolkata Development Authority near Akankha More, in front of the NKDA cricket stadium. The area in Action Area II has several reputed restaurants which draw a crowd in the evening. The food trucks will be allowed to park there and do business from 6.30pm to midnight, thus protecting the area from encroachment by hawkers. The rent will be Rs 2,500 per month. The first food truck zone on the pedestrian-only street next to the Clock Tower has become quite a hangout zone.
Velodrome:
Cyclists are eagerly awaiting the completion of a velodrome that is coming up near the Silicon Valley. The outdoor cycling facility, rising to a storey high, is coming up over three acres. Experts from Delhi were flown in to offer advice on the top coat as well as the angle of elevation which made the concrete casting a difficult engineering feat. The velodrome will be the only quality one in Bengal. It is expected be rented out to cycling teams for a whole day or to individuals on an hourly basis against tickets. Such decisions have not been taken, officials said.
sweets from districts:
A second facility dealing with sweets will come up opposite Eco Park, across the street from the existing Misti Hub. The announcement was made by the chief minister at a programme organised by the Paschim Banga Mistanna Byabsayee Samity last August. A 20 cottah plot has been identified by Hidco for a G+4 building and the project will be executed by the department of micro, small and medium enterprises. The ground floor will have stalls from the districts selling sweets famous in the area. The floors above will have conference rooms, a hall, a research centre and lodging facilities.