IIT-KGP pilot project to protect heritage along Hoogly river

IIT Kharagpur, the oldest and largest one in the country, has initiated a pilot project to protect the rich cultural heritage of the cities and towns along the Hoogly river.

The project would focus on five former trading posts and garrison settlements near Kolkata along the Hooghly river - Bandel, Chinsurah, Chandernagore, Serampore and Barrackpore, an IIT KGP statement said here today.

The pockets bear traces of Portugese (Bandel), Dutch (Chinsurah), British (Barrackpore), French (Chandernagore), Danish (Serampore) presence, as well as India's own rich culture.

The pilot project has been initiated by IIT Kharagpur's department of humanities and social sciences, in association with the University of Liverpool, UK, the statement said.

Principal Investigator on behalf of IIT KGP, Prof Jenia Mukherjee said, "These places, being peripheral cities surrounding Kolkata, are not getting enough exposure. And yet, in these cities too, heritage buildings are making way for apartments, multiplexes and so on."
Lack of funds makes maintenance difficult for even those willing to preserve their properties, Mukherjee said adding, "We will be seeing if it is possible to build up a public-private-partnership for the upkeep of these structures."