Kolkata: Bengal urban development and municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul on Sunday signalled the end of the road for Kolkata’s traditional horse-drawn carriages, used for joyrides around Victoria Memorial Hall and in the Maidan, saying the govt is planning to replace them with battery-operated alternatives.The proposed transition, however, is likely to face resistance, with owners asserting they would oppose any attempt to phase out horse-drawn carriages.The city has 58 privately-owned registered horses and 29 licensed horse carriages.“We are bringing battery-operated carriages for use in Kolkata. The way the horses are forced to run, they suffer a lot. How will I feel if I am forced to work with chains tied to my feet? We don’t want horse-drawn carriages to be used for joyrides. I have talked to PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals). I have also spoken to owners of horse-drawn carriages about the gradual transition to battery-operated coaches from this year,” Paul said.The announcement came four days after Paul, along with KMC commissioner Smita Pandey and city police officers, met representatives of animal rights groups PETA India and CAPE Foundation. The organisations have been campaigning for the phaseout of horse-drawn carriages in Kolkata, citing poor health of the horses.At the meeting, Paul had said the govt would procure five battery-operated carriages as part of a pilot project to demonstrate their operational ease and financial viability to carriage owners.Reacting to minister Paul’s announcement, PETA India policy associate Chumki Dutta said heritage-style e-carriages would benefit both horses and people.“Beautiful heritage-style e-carriages would be a win-win solution for horse and human welfare and safety, and align perfectly with a new, modern, clean Kolkata. The sight of bone-thin, ailing horses hauling tourists upsets visitors and locals alike. Humans are also at risk of contracting glanders and other zoonotic diseases. Besides, the horses that are abandoned cause traffic hazards,” she said.Mumbai has shifted to e-carriages, and former horse carriage owners there have reported improved earnings, a PETA functionary said.CAPE Foundation managing trustee Radhika Bose said that post-switch, horses would be rehabilitated in sanctuaries. “It will be a huge relief for the ill-fed, ailing horses,” she said.Horse owners, however, remained firm in their opposition. “We held a meeting on Sunday evening and rejected the proposal. People want to ride horse-drawn carriages, not e-vehicles. There is a demand for our coaches at immersion processions, weddings and other ceremonies,” said carriage owner Md Feroz.Paul also said the state planned to introduce a few battery-operated carriages for joyrides along the Strand in Chandernagore, the former French colony where the Bengal govt and the French embassy have launched a project to restore the 150-year-old French Registry Building.
