Seven families displaced by metro construction in Kolkata’s Bowbazar area have received the keys to newly rebuilt homes, beginning the return of residents who have spent nearly seven years living in rented accommodation after repeated building damage in the area.
The first phase of the resettlement process began at a ceremony on Thursday, according to Sangbad Pratidin – Kolkata. The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited is rebuilding a total of 24 houses for affected families in Durga Pituri Lane, with seven families receiving keys in this phase.
The residents were forced to leave their homes after damage linked to underground tunnelling for the Howrah–Sealdah Metro route. The first major incident occurred on 31 August 2019, when parts of several buildings in Durga Pituri Lane and nearby Sankrapara Lane collapsed or developed cracks during metro work. Families were moved out of the area for their safety and continued to live in rented homes while reconstruction and rehabilitation proceeded.
The disruption continued even after metro services began on the route. The report said that some residents had still not received new homes two years after metro operations started, extending the period during which affected families remained away from their original neighbourhood and properties.
Bowbazar subsequently faced further episodes of structural distress. On 11 May 2022, cracks reportedly reappeared in several houses in Durga Pituri Lane during tunnelling work. Another episode was reported on 14 October 2022 in nearby Madan Dutta Lane, reviving concerns over the safety of buildings in the area before the festive season.
The sequence placed the focus on a difficult administrative responsibility created by major urban infrastructure: ensuring that construction-related displacement does not become an indefinite housing crisis. In Bowbazar, the metro project’s operational progress did not immediately translate into the affected residents’ return to permanent homes. The reconstruction of the 24 houses is therefore also the mechanism through which the project is addressing its continuing residential impact.
The key handover ceremony was attended by state minister Tapas Roy, legislator Sajal Ghosh and former councillor Bishwaroop Dey, the report said. The event marked the start of the homecoming process rather than its completion, as the remaining affected families are still awaiting the rebuilding and handover of their homes.
The Bowbazar case also illustrates the difference between completing a transport link and completing the wider rehabilitation obligations associated with it. A metro corridor can become operational while residents affected during construction continue to face uncertainty over housing, property access and the restoration of their neighbourhood. The reported handover provides the first visible step towards closing that gap for the families receiving keys.
The KMRC is expected to continue the rebuilding and handover process for the remaining houses. The report did not provide a completion date for all 24 homes or specify when the other displaced families will return.
