After ten years, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has finally regained Subodh Mallick Square (Wellington Square) in central Kolkata. Over the past decade, this area was planned for various purposes – sometimes for an underground Metro station, sometimes for Metro ventilation and evacuation shafts. Ultimately, the site was not used for any Metro work. After everything, Wellington Square has finally returned under municipal control.
Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL) had taken Subodh Mallick Square from the municipality to build an underground station between Esplanade and Sealdah on the Green Line, which is the East-West Metro route. However, the station construction plan had to be cancelled. Subsequently, KMRCL engineers planned to construct ventilation shafts and evacuation shafts there.
Also Read | BLO not tech-savvy, Election Commission appoints additional BLO in Kolkata
This plan was made to create ventilation shafts for pumping fresh air into underground tunnels and evacuation shafts for bringing passengers out of tunnels during emergencies. But the soil composition of that area in central Kolkata hindered the engineers' plans. Every time attempts were made to dig holes underground for shaft construction, landslides occurred at those spots. Eventually, the entire area was used as storage space for various equipment and construction materials.
A KMRCL official said that since neither the station nor the shafts were built at Subodh Mallick Square, there was no point in retaining the site. Therefore, it has been returned to the municipality. However, the appearance of Subodh Mallick Square has completely changed from its condition it was in ten years ago. In many places, there are no traces of greenery left. Several areas have incomplete construction. The boxing club inaugurated by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1927 has also been relocated from its original site. Municipal Mayor-in-Council (Parks Department) Debashis Kumar said, "Subodh Mallick Square will be rebuilt anew. Beautification, landscaping and many other things will have to be done afresh. There are also plans to build a gymnasium there. Greening will also be done."
Also Read | Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee receives honorary D.Litt from Japan's Okayama University
However, such work will not be very easy for the municipality. Municipal engineers are currently considering whether there is a risk of landslides if the incomplete Metro constructions within the park are demolished, and what will be done with those structures if they have to be retained.
