Kulpi
Encyclopedia
Kulpi is a port town, located in South 24 Parganas district
South 24 Parganas district
South 24 Parganas district is an important district of West Bengal State with its district headquarters in Alipore. It has the urban fringe of Calcutta on one side and the remote riverine villages in the Sundarbans....

 of the Indian state of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...

, about 78 km south of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

  and about 25 km from Diamond Harbour
Diamond Harbour
Diamond Harbour is in the southern suburbs of Kolkata, on the banks of the Hooghly River quite near where the river meets the Bay of Bengal. This small town is a popular weekend tourist spot located in South 24 Parganas district....

, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly river. It is the site of the proposed port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

-cum-special economic zone
Special Economic Zone
A Special Economic Zone is a geographical region that has economic and other laws that are more free-market-oriented than a country's typical or national laws...

. It is on NH 117 and is 72 km from Sealdah
Sealdah
Sealdah is one of the major train stations serving Kolkata in India, the others being Howrah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata Railway Station. Sealdah is one of the busiest rail stations in India and an important suburban rail terminal...

on the Sealdah-Lakshikantapur-Kakdwip-Namkhana track of Eastern Railway.

Geography

Kulpi is located at 22.08°N 88.24°E. It has an average elevation of 4 m (13.1 ft).

Port-cum-industrial complex

Comprehensively master-planned, the Kulpi Economic Zone will combine modern all weather port facilities, environment-friendly ship breaking yard, and an industrial park in a single integrated hub. The estimated project costs are: (1) Rs. 455 crore (USD 104.6 million) for the port facilities, (2) Rs. 430 crore (USD 98.8 million) for the industrial park, and (3) Rs. 40 crore (USD 9.2 million) for the ship breaking complex, making it a total of Rs. 925 crore (US$ 212.6 million) for the entire project.

Dubai-based DP World, world’s third largest port operator, took over the greenfield Kulpi Port project as part of its acquisition of P&O in February 2006. The first phase will have a 450-metre quay. The second phase will add 450 metres of quay. DP World's partners in Kulpi Port are Indian firm MKJ Enterprises and the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC).

Sultan Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai World, has reaffirmed commitment to Kulpi Port. He said that Dubai World was committed to the Indian state of West Bengal's development and to being involved long term in the progress of the important Indian economy as part of its global growth strategy.

The construction of the minor port in South 24 Parganas will mean that 150,000 people living in 90 villages will face eviction, according to the Committee for protection of residential and farm land. There are more than 40 brick kilns, employing more than 18,000 people, spread over 60,000 bigha area. . Besides, there are offices, a few thousand shops, cottage industries and small factories which will also face eviction. There are six gram panchayats in the area where the port is proposed to be set up. Most of the people of this area are agriculturists.

External links

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