One wonders, how can there ever be a dull moment in the city of joy? There just can’t be, isn’t it? So even as a lot of Kolkata is still stifling with poverty and rich and poor divide, there are still bright reasons that light up an entire city and therefore, an entire India toward the city where mellifluence runs wide.
In case you are wondering, what is being talked about then don’t feel all that confused. A big reason to celebrate Kolkata is that it has become the only city in entire India to have got its own floating market. Did any of us see that one coming? Who knows. Truth certainly is that in many other parts of the world, majorly in Asia, one has seen a mushrooming of floating markets in Thailand and Laos.
These are everyday markets where shoppers, instead of walking up physically to a store or outlet, float on boats, ferried by boatmen to buy and shop all they want. Now, India and the rest of the world will see denizens of Kolkata rowing their boats as they shop with the coming up of India’s first floating market in the heart of West Bengal.
This first floating market in India has about 114 boats and can offer an unparalleled access to shoppers through one of a kind shopping experience, hitherto unexperienced by city dwellers in India. The market, it is reported, has been developed at an astronomical amount of INR 10 crore and is located on a water body that is 500 meter long and 60 meter wide. It is also reported that the market will be run by a joint operation of around 228 vendors, where each member of the market has been selected by an elaborate selection procedure : lottery process. Food items such as rice, fish, chicken, fruits as well as tea are available at the 228 stalls at the floating market.
But a thing, one reckons, that Kolkata will have to be sure of and proactive about is to be in the know of things where the question of disposal of waste arises. As none would obviously want the water body to be polluted by leftovers and carelessly dumped articles. Water pollution, is after all, just as toxic as any other form of pollution, the city cannot afford that without a doubt.