A big part of the road connecting to a 10-acre recreational park, part of the Digha convention centre inaugurated by Mamata Banerjee last December, was severely damaged by strong tidal waves over Thursday and Friday night.

The Dheu Sagar (Sea of Waves) park is a 10-foot-high, elevated park with murals, statues, benches and an amphitheatre and had played host to the chief minister’s guests comprising delegates and industrialists last year.

Over 200m of the 3km-long road, spanning the Udaipur bridge, was damaged after the concrete guardwall took a beating from tidal waves spurred by a low-pressure formation and a new moon night.

“We have asked the Digha-Sankarpur Development Authority to start inspection and renovation of the road at the soonest as this is a question of Digha’s image,” said zilla parishad chief Debabrata Das.

“Not only is it a major tourist draw, the park also lends an air of recreation to the business centre, through which the CM intended to turn Digha into Bengal’s business and tourist destination simultaneously,” he added.

DSDA vice-chairman Akhil Giri said efforts with the irrigation department would be underway on this “post haste”.

On December 11 last year, Mamata Banerjee had inaugurated the park after holding lengthy deliberations at the adjacent convention centre. Talks had resulted in pledges for at least two star-hotels in the area and was followed by a cultural programme at the Dheu Sagar amphitheatre.