A Covid-19 vaccine is the best thing that can happen in 2021. Until that shot is jabbed in, there are some other things that Calcuttans can look forward to in the year ahead
New Garia-Dakshineswar Metro
Metro trains should start running up to Dakshineswar by the end of February, officials have said. A trial run has already taken place on the Noapara-Dakshineswar stretch of the north-south Metro line. Once operational, the new Metro link will benefit thousands from the north of the city, places like Baranagar, Bonhooghly, Dunlop, Belghoria and further north. Ever since the Tallah bridge was closed to traffic in the second half of 2019 (it has since been demolished to make way for a new one), a large section of these commuters have had a harrowing time commuting.
Sealdah Metro station
The Sealdah Metro station, midpoint of the upcoming East-West Metro corridor that connects Howrah and Salt Lake, should be ready for use in 2021. A service of little use now, with trains running between Sector V and Phoolbagan, should suddenly be a real commute option when the local train hub of Sealdah is connected with the office district in Salt Lake.
Cricket
402 days (on January 1) since the last international match was played at Eden Gardens — the Day-Night Test Match between India and Bangladesh, won by the hosts by an innings and 46 runs. Breaking the lull, 2021 should have plenty of limited-over action at the stadium. Eden is set to be the venue of multiple matches as India hosts the T20 World Cup in October and November. Before that, IPL beckons in summer.
Hospitality
Taj will add one more property to its name in Calcutta in 2021 when a hotel, next to City Centre II in New Town, becomes operational in a new avatar. The hotel had so far been operated by French hotel group Accor under Swisstotel brand.
In the hills, a boutique resort called Chia Kutir by Taj, will be fully operational at Makaibari tea estate in Darjeeling.
Information technology
IT giant Infosys Technology may start work on the long awaited New Town campus, raising hope of resurgence in the Bengal IT sector and brightening job prospects for educated professionals of the state.
Tallah bridge
Construction of five piers on the Shyambazar-end and two on the Dunlop-end will be over by March 2021, the state government has decided after a recent review of the pace of work of one Calcutta’s biggest infrastructure projects in the north. The foundation for construction of two of the six piers that will come up between railway tracks will also be over by March-end, officials said.
By August, roughly 40 per cent of the construction of the bridge should be complete. If things are on track, the new bridge should be ready by early 2022, said engineers.
Tale of two other bridges
The Kalighat and Baghajatin bridges will be thoroughly strengthened by 2021. These two bridges, in south Calcutta and on EM Bypass, respectively, remain vital links for the city. Both these structures have been damaged and have been crying for repairs for a long time now. The urban development department has decided that the two structures would be strengthened first by injecting concrete in the hairline cracks and then using props to hold the underbelly.
Victoria at 100
Victoria Memorial will turn 100 on December 28, 2021. The authorities have lined up a series of programmes to celebrate the centenary. “The museum is a microcosm of what we want the Indian democracy to be,” said Jayanta Sengupta, secretary and curator of the Victoria Memorial.
Eye on the sky
2021 will be notable because of the number of supermoons, a full moon that is a shade brighter and bigger than the average full moon. The supermoons on April 27, May 26 and June 24 will be visible from the city, said Debiprosad Duari, director (research and academic) of MP Birla Planetarium.
Iron-free water
Most areas under the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation can expect to get iron-free water by the end of 2021. The New Town water treatment plant supplies treated Hooghly water to many wards but some — including several areas in Sector III and Rajarhat — are still dependant on groundwater through handpumps. The pipe laying work in these areas, delayed by the pandemic, has picked up again and should be completed by 2021, said officials.
And not to forget
The battle lines are drawn. In many ways, Bengal is for the BJP what India was for a marauding Australian cricket team in 2001 — the final frontier. The party is eying the state with all its organisational might. But the BJP is up against a formidable opponent in Mamata Banerjee, who has shown she is ready to take the saffron bull by its horns. A state election should not be the litmus test for a sitting Prime Minister. But that is what the Bengal polls have become. If Mamata manages to halt the chariot and retain Bengal like Sourav’s India did against the Aussies, it is expected to be a shot in the arm for the Opposition across the country. A warm-up round of civic polls will be held ahead of the Assembly elections.
Modi or Didi, 2021 will tell.
