A photo essay on the de-industrialization of Bengal: Real estate SEZs over the ruins of factories
The real story behind the much-hyped industrialization of West Bengal is one of continuous de-industrialization, land grab and conversion to real estate.
This has happened extensively over the last few years, with numerous examples like South City, built on the land of Usha factory and Diamond City, built on the lands of Reckitt and Coleman India Ltd. lying in front of everyones eyes.
The latest phase is the setting up of real-estate SEZs, with a software company as a front and luxury apartments as the real thing. Two are coming up at two ends of Kolkata, the Sriram Hitec city in the north, being set up on the extensive wetlands (around 300 acres) adjoining the Hind Motors factory (originally designated for ancillary units) near Uttarpara and the other, Hiland-Bata Integrated city at the huge Batanagar factory of Bata India Ltd. near Budge Budge in the south.
The entire Sriram project is actually illegal, as under the Inland Fisheris Act, wetlands cannot be filled up at all. Also, this hoax of land for ancillary units (which was the main thing in the Singur episode) lies expsoed in the case of Hind Motors. On the one hand agricultural land is being acquired to be converted into industrial land, on the other hand industrial land is converted into real estate. These two simulataneous processes define the neo-liberal industrialization- urbanization process in West Bengal.
Interestingly, Sriram has contracted out the entire process of acquiring, safeguarding and filling up the wetlands to Achhelal, the local strongman and brother of Dilip Yadav, the Trinamool councillor. So, TMC will remain silent on the issue.
A report on the state of industries in the Barackpur-Kanchrapara belt [PDF, Bengali, 1.8 MB] »
Photos of Shriram Hitec city and the destruction of Hind Motors:
1. Abject poverty in villages around the Hind Motors factory- do industries bring prosperity to locals
2. Bengal Sriram Hightec city, the new owners of the wetlands
3. Hind Motors wetlands surrounded by barbed wire
4. Lush paddy fields that have already been bought up by property sharks
5. Property of Bengal Sriram
6. Security cabin of Bengal Sriram
7. Shut-down facilities at Hind Motors
8. Sriram Hightec city has demarcated the area of the wetlands that they will occupy
9. The banked road for vehicle testing that is included within the SEZ area
10. The barbed wire around the wetlands disrupts life of people dependent on them
11. The car testing road that is included within the SEZ
12. The extensive wetlands that will be filled up
13. An ecosystem on the verge of exticntion
14. The Hind Motors factory across the wetlands
15. Water being pumped out from the ponds
16. Wildlife in the wetlands
