The New Town authorities have started rebuilding Utsari — a glass hall on Eco Island inside Eco Park — that was completely destroyed by Cyclone Amphan in May, an official of the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) said.

The glass house has hosted several programmes featuring chief minister Mamata Banerjee, state government officials and guests from abroad. Dinner parties of several editions of the Bengal Global Business Summit were held at the glass hall.

“The glass panes with which the walls of the hall were made shattered during the cyclone. Even portions of the concrete roof were damaged, prompting engineers to go back to the drawing board,” said an engineer of NKDA, the agency that looks after the civic amenities of New Town.

A road near Eco Park decorated for the festive season. Gautam Bose

“We had to make several design changes to make the glass walls more durable and the hall as storm-proof as possible.”

NKDA chairman Debashis Sen said work on rebuilding the glass hall started last week. “We have decided to use stronger glass sheets,” he said.

The restoration is expected to take at least six months.

An engineer said toughened glass panes were used to build the hall that was ravaged by the cyclone, which struck south Bengal on May 20. “This time toughened glass of a higher grade and more thickness will be used,” the engineer said.

“The glass house is an iconic structure from where one can enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the park and the water body. We want to restore it to the best of our capabilities,” said the engineer.