High court takes action to ease bus congestion and protect Victoria Memorial in Kolkata's Dharmatalla

In a significant move, the Calcutta High Court has launched an exercise to address the issue of bus congestion in Dharmatalla, the heart of Kolkata, with a particular focus on protecting the iconic Victoria Memorial.

This initiative aims to enforce environmental directives that were issued more than a decade ago but remained largely unimplemented.

The High Court's involvement dates back to 2007 when it ordered the removal of bus counters from Esplanade to safeguard the magnificent Victoria Memorial. Despite subsequent orders from the Supreme Court in 2011 to reduce traffic around this historical landmark, effective measures were not put in place.

Now, as part of the ongoing metro project at Oolte Dharmatalla, plans are underway to develop a multi-storey parking system to alleviate the bus congestion issue.

Furthermore, the court has taken additional steps to minimize the potential impact of traffic pollution on the neighboring Victoria Memorial Hall, which falls under the jurisdiction of the army. Seeking the army's opinion on the matter, the court has also requested the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to explore the feasibility of constructing a multi-storey bus parking facility either at Dharmatalla or Babughat.

On Friday, during the court hearing presided over by Justice Debanshu Basak and Justice Shampa Sarkar, the High Court sought information regarding the measures taken by the West Bengal government to reduce pollution in the city center.

The Kolkata Traffic Police were also asked about the reintroduction of a traffic flow plan to ease congestion. Additionally, the court emphasized the importance of developing traffic signals near Victoria Memorial in a manner that minimizes bus stops and reduces the duration of vehicle standing. Such measures are crucial to curbing smog and pollution in the surrounding areas.