Eco Park to stay open till midnight

KOLKATA: This Christmas, Eco Park in Rajarhat gave a stiff competition to other party spots in the city and now, it is gearing up to turn into an openair dance floor on the New Year's Eve. With gates open till midnight for the first time ever, the authorities are hoping to break last year's December 25 record, when more than 55,000 revellers turned up to celebrate Christmas.
To cater to the increasing crowd, the Hidco authorities are setting up a control room at the Eco Park Office and also deploying additional security on watch towers to keep an eye on the 480-acre park. A medical camp will also be set up. Additional ticket counters will be opened to cater to the huge crowd. Additional parking lots will be opened to give space to visitors' cars. Besides the existing attractions, a toy train, 10 foodstalls and a DJ music rink will be set up to celebrate the year-end bash. The floating Cafe Ekante restaurant that has just been opened will be an added attraction. For children, there will a live Santa Claus and a Christmas tree. Fresh fried fish from the Eco Park waterbody is going to lure foodies who would throng the place. A special viewpoint is also being set up on way to Eco Is land from Gate I to keep an eye on the activities and to manage crowd.
To decentralise the crowd that would gather at Eco Park, the authorities will run free bus shuttles that will ply from Gate I and IV of Eco Park to take visitors to the newly inaugurated Urban Eco Village and New Town Mela.