The West Bengal government has asked the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) to prepare a detailed project report within three months for an integrated Kumartuli heritage hub covering artisan clusters, cultural infrastructure and the working conditions of idol makers.
The information and cultural affairs department has written to KMDA, asking the development authority to give priority to the project. The proposed plan is titled “Integrated Development of Kumartuli as an Idol-Making and Cultural Heritage District” and is expected to cover nine to 10 artisan clusters.
The project will include two major idol-making locations: Kumartuli and the area near the Central Medical Store warehouses in Bagbazar. A government official cited in the report said both locations currently face poor hygienic conditions, while the warehouses in the Bagbazar area are in a crumbling state.
As part of the DPR, KMDA has been asked to conduct a detailed socio-economic, physical and infrastructural survey of the area. The survey will identify artisan households, ancillary workers, residents, existing workspaces, properties, access roads, utilities and other relevant features.
The authority must also prepare an updated database of artisans and other stakeholders connected with Kumartuli. The database is expected to include different categories of traditional artisans, along with ancillary workers, residents and other groups linked to the locality’s idol-making economy.
The government official said the DPR would establish how many families live in the two locations and how many artisans work there. It will also examine the project’s estimated cost and possible funding sources, according to the department’s letter.
Kumartuli is one of Kolkata’s most recognisable traditional production districts, with workshops operating within a dense urban neighbourhood. The government’s proposed approach combines artisan activity, heritage conservation and infrastructure assessment rather than limiting the intervention to improvements in individual workshops.
The focus on access roads, utilities, properties and existing workspaces indicates that the plan will examine the wider physical conditions supporting idol production. The inclusion of ancillary workers and residents also expands the scope beyond the principal artisans whose work gives the neighbourhood its identity.
The proposal follows earlier attempts to improve working spaces for Kumartuli artisans. However, sources said those efforts had not produced significant changes on the ground. The new DPR process is expected to establish the existing conditions, identify stakeholders and set out the cost and funding requirements before implementation decisions are taken.
KMDA’s next formal milestone is the submission of the detailed project report within three months. The report will determine the surveyed project area, the number and condition of participating clusters, the infrastructure requirements and the potential funding structure for the proposed heritage district.
