Raichak is a small town in South 24 Parganas district of the Indian state of West Bengal

West Bengal

West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...

. It is located on the bank of the Hooghly river, some 50 km south of Kolkata

Kolkata

Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

. It is about 15 km from Diamond Harbour

Diamond Harbour

Diamond Harbour is in the southern suburbs of Kolkata, on the banks of the Hooghly River quite near where the river meets the Bay of Bengal. This small town is a popular weekend tourist spot located in South 24 Parganas district....

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History

The Dutch had built a fort at Raichak, which is on a river bend, in the 18th century. Following the withdrawal of the Dutch from India, the fort was left to ruin. The place became important with the development of Haldia. Raichak acts as a link between Haldia and Calcutta.

Tourism

The fort gradually fell into ruins and was converted to a lively 5-star hotel, Radisson Fort.(Not any more with Radisson)
The hotel has a scenic view of the river. Those who are more adventurous can make also use the Raichak jetty or the nearby Nurpur jetty and take a ferry across the river to go to Kukrahati

Kukrahati

Kukrahati is a small place in Purba Medinipur district of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located around 150 km from Kolkata, and stands on the bank of the Hooghly river, opposite Raichak in South 24 Parganas. It is the gateway to the port and industrial city of Haldia...

 in East Midnapore district or Gadiara

Gadiara

Gadiara is a village in Howrah District of West Bengal, India.This place is the point of convergence of the Damodar, the Rupnarayan and the Hoogli rivers. Gadiara is a popular picnic and daytrip spot for locals and tourists alike.-History:...

 in Howrah district

Howrah District

Howrah district is a district of the West Bengal state in eastern India. It has thousands of years of rich heritage in the form of the great Bengali kingdom of Bhurshut. The district is named after its headquarters, the city of Howrah.-Geography:...

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Proposed bridge

The proposal for a bridge across the Hooghly River from Raichak to Kukrahati, which will connect Haldia

Haldia

Haldia has a typical moderate climate with winter temperatures ranging from a low of around 7 degrees Celsius to a high of 22 degrees Celsius. Winters are chilly and is when the residents hold the Haldia Utsav festival. Summers can be very hot and humid. Usual summer temperatures in May, the...

 to Kolkata, has been hanging fire for many years. In earlier years, it was thought that the 2 km long cable bridge costing over Rs. 3,000 crore would be built with Malaysian support.Thereafter, the Japanese came into the photograph.Subsequently, the Japanese were replaced by the Indonesian Salim Group

Salim Group

The Salim Group is Indonesia's biggest conglomerate with assets including Indofood Sukses Makmur, the world's largest instant noodle producer, and Bogasari, a large flour-milling operation...

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The construction of the Eastern Link Highway, linking Barasat

Barasat

Barasat is a city in the outskirts of Kolkata, West Bengal India and is the district head quarter of the district North 24 Parganas. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. The town is an important railway and roadway junction...

 with Raichak, which would be 100 km long and 100 m wide and spread over 2500 acres (10.1 km²), is also on the anvil. The road will ultimately terminate at Nandigram

Nandigram

Nandigram is a rural area with two commuunity development blocks in Haldia subdivision of Purba Medinipur district of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located about 70 km south-west of Kolkata, on the south bank of the Haldi River, opposite the industrial city of Haldia...

. The projects would be implemented by New Kolkata International Development Private Ltd, a special purpose company that has been promoted by the Salim Group, the Universal Success Group and Unitech.