The Kolkata Port Trust or Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. Photo: Special Arrangement
Kolkata Port Trust has joined hands with the Adani Ports to restore the historic Kumartuli ghat — a culturally significant site for city’s history on the banks of Hooghly River — in the northern parts of Kolkata.
The Kolkata Port Trust or Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ) on Friday (July 11, 2025) for the redevelopment, restoration, and beautification of the Kumartuli ghat.
Speaking on the occasion, Rathendra Raman, Chairman of SMP Kolkata, said, “Kumartuli Ghat is not just a site—it is a living legacy of Bengal’s artistic soul. Through this partnership with Adani Ports, we are not only restoring a physical structure but also reviving a space deeply woven into Kolkata’s cultural fabric.”
This initiative comes as a part of the SMPK’s Swachhata drive to help restore one of the oldest iconic ghats on the banks of river Hooghly, which is also the residence of the Durga idol artisans of Kolkata who reside beside the Kumartuli ghats for generations.
“Taking responsibility to renovate such a heritage ghat like Kumartuli, which is sentimentally very much linked to Kolkata, is definitely an honour for APSEZ Ltd.,” Subrat Tripathy, President, Business Development, APSEZ Ltd., said.
The restoration work aims to preserve the heritage architecture of the ghat and to make it cleaner and safer for the residents of the area and also attract tourists to focus on the iconic waterfronts of the city.
There are 39 ghats in the banks of Hooghly River, along with the Kumartuli ghat, the port authorities also plan to restore 4 more ghats in the area. “Chotelal ghat, Mayer ghat, Telkal ghat, and Nimtala Immersion ghat are also next in line for restoration in the upcoming days. Kolkata Municipal Corporation, police, and all other stakeholders are involved in the restoration process,” official sources at the Kolkata Port Trust told The Hindu.
Published – July 13, 2025 10:35 am IST