Seven years after metro construction damaged homes in Kolkata’s Bowbazar area, the first group of displaced residents of Durga Pituri Lane has received keys to newly rebuilt houses, beginning a phased return overseen by the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL).
The handover took place at a programme on Thursday, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin. Seven families received keys in the first phase. A total of 24 houses are to be rebuilt for affected residents, although the report does not specify when the remaining homes will be handed over.
The residents were displaced after buildings in and around Durga Pituri Lane and nearby Sankrapara Lane were damaged during underground tunnelling work for the Howrah–Sealdah Metro route. Cracks appeared in several buildings, forcing families to leave their homes and move into rented accommodation.
The initial incident took place on 31 August 2019, shortly before Durga Puja. The damage occurred while tunnelling work was under way. The report said that even after metro services began on the route, several affected families had not been able to return to newly rebuilt homes.
The disruption was followed by further episodes of damage and concern in the same area. On 11 May 2022, cracks reportedly reappeared in several houses on Durga Pituri Lane during tunnel work. On 14 October that year, shortly before the festival, residents of Madan Dutta Lane faced another episode of cracking-related concern.
These repeated incidents left many residents away from their original homes for years. Their rehabilitation therefore involved more than temporary relocation: the affected properties had to be reconstructed before families could return. The latest handover marks the start of that process, rather than its completion.
The ceremony was attended by state Industries Minister Tapas Roy, legislator Sajal Ghosh and former mayoral council member Bishwarup De, according to the report. KMRCL was identified as the agency behind the rebuilding and handover process.
For the families receiving keys, the immediate change is the end of prolonged residence in rented accommodation and the restoration of a permanent address in Bowbazar. For the wider city, the episode remains a significant example of the risks that can emerge when major underground transport infrastructure is built beneath dense, older neighbourhoods.
The report does not provide details of the construction standards used for the rebuilt houses, the compensation arrangements, the total number of affected families or the schedule for handing over the remaining homes. It states that 24 houses will be rebuilt and that the first seven families have now received their keys. The next stage of the KMRCL-led process will be the completion and handover of the remaining reconstructed homes.
