Kolkata gets first Floating Market in India

The people of Kolkata can now enjoy daily shopping trips in a unique way through the floating market set up by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). The market functions solely on boats having two retailers in each boat at the lake in Patuli, where shopkeepers sell fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish and meat, groceries among other produce.

The market is operational throughout the week from early morning at 6am and closes around 10:30 pm in the night with a small afternoon recess. The retailers are getting a good response since its launch sometime back in February but by this month all the 228 shops are becoming operational and adding to the range of everyday merchandise needed for any household. One of the fish sellers Laltu Mondal shares with Retail4Growth, “We have lot of variety in fish and people are coming in not only to purchase the goods for their homes but it has become a tourist spot as well with the beautiful lake all decked up by the authorities.”

Wooden walkways have been built for buyers to reach the boats. A walkway has also been built along the edge of the 2,000 square metre lake.  A unique feature of the project is the installation of two aerators in the water body. Aerators increase the dissolved oxygen level in water, which in turn helps aquatic animals and aerobic bacteria to survive. The inspiration of this concept came from Bangkok where floating market is a very common marketplace.

The market is picking up quickly with people from the adjacent catchment coming in for and one of them was Vaijayanti who shares with R4G, “It has become compulsory for me to have my evening walks here and then I pick up  whatever is needed for home. Be it vegetables, fruits or groceries everything is available in affordable price. It is a great initiative by the government and it is one of its kind mass market.”