West Bengal CM Mamata lays foundation stone of 5-km bridge connecting Sagar Island to mainland

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday (January 5, 2026) laid the foundation stone of a 5-km-long bridge over the river Muriganga to connect Sagar Island with the mainland. Sagar is the biggest island of the Sundarbans archipelago, where the annual Gangasagar Mela pilgrimage is held on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

Estimated to cost ₹1,670 crore, the four-lane bridge will connect Lot 8 in Kakdwip to Kachuberia on Sagar Island.

The Chief Minister expressed hope that the bridge will improve business and commerce and facilitate travel for pilgrims visiting the Gangasagar Mela. It is believed that the river Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal at Sagar Island in front of Kapil Muni Temple, and every year lakhs of devotees descend on the remote island to take a holy dip on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

“I feel proud, even if only a little, for the people of Bengal, for tourists from across the world, for pilgrims and for everyone, including those in the remote areas of the Sundarbans. We do not praise ourselves, but our actions speak louder than words,” Ms. Banerjee said at the public gathering.

The Chief Minister said that it would take two to three years to complete the bridge, and a contract for the project has been awarded to L&T (Larsen & Toubro). Ms. Banerjee had earlier said that she had requested the Union Government to help construct the bridge, but after repeated requests, since there was no word from the Centre, the State Government decided to take up the project.

The Chief Minister said that since her government came to power in 2011, 37 small, medium and large bridges have been built in South 24 Parganas. She also said that it has become easier to go to Bakkhali due to the construction of bridges over the Hatania-Dowania rivers. She said that electricity has now reached Sagar Island, and during her government’s tenure, the Sundarbans Police District was created.

Ms. Banerjee said that although the Central Government gave money for the Kumbh Mela, it did not give any grant for the Gangasagar Mela.

She also visited Bharat Sevashram Sangh on Sagar Island and announced that if a common person or a government employee dies during the fair, his or her family will be compensated. She said that earlier, pilgrims had to pay tax when they visited Gangasagar, but the government withdrew it after coming to power.