A 400-foot watch tower, which will rise higher than Delhi’s Qutub Minar, is being built in Howrah, West Bengal, and it is expected to open to the public next year, making it one of the tallest public attractions in the country.
The structure is designed not only to serve as a viewing point for visitors but also to function as a leisure destination, as it will include a revolving restaurant and a banquet hall that can accommodate up to 200 guests at a time, The Indian Express reported.
The project, which has been undertaken by Panchadeep Construction, began nearly seven years ago, but construction was interrupted for almost two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, and work has since resumed with renewed momentum.
The tower stands within Belilious Park, which is being developed simultaneously into an amusement complex, and the park will feature facilities such as go-karting, water sports, and a toy train spread over 20 acres of land leased from the state government.
Two high-speed lifts will transport 24 visitors at a time to the open viewing deck, and telescopes installed at the top will allow them to see landmarks across a 20-kilometre radius, offering views that stretch from the city’s two famous bridges to the river Ganga and even to planes taking off from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
A maximum of 150 to 200 visitors will be permitted on the top deck at any given time, and their stay will be restricted to 30 minutes, after which additional charges will apply, ensuring crowd control and safety. A coloured wristband system will be introduced to manage visitor timing, and each group will have distinct bands to mark their duration of stay.
Constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 75 crore, the tower has a 35-metre-deep foundation supported by 169 pilings to make it earthquake-resistant, and approximately 1,400 tonnes of steel have been used in its structure.