The Forgotten River of Kolkata

The Hooghly River runs right through Kolkata, India, but it remains largely behind the scenes and caved in by factories and industrial uses. Some voices are calling for the city to embrace its river and reorient itself around the amenity.

1 minute read

November 27, 2009, 9:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg

"Ironically, but for river Hooghly, Job Charnock would not have landed here over three centuries ago. There would have been no major settlement to string together the three villages of Kalikata, Sutanuti and Gobindapur into a thriving metropolis that Kolkata is today.

Between Prinsep Ghat and Bagbazar, the river flows for over a dozen kilometres along the western edge of Kolkata. But it is only for a short 1.5 km stretch between Babu Ghat and Prinsep Ghat that is open and visible. For a good part of the remaining section, the river is either made out of bounds by hideous rusting warehouses that are housed on its edge, or inexplicably hidden behind a high wall. The purpose, it appears, is to shield the city from a shame but what actually ought to have been its greatest asset and pride."

FULL STORY: Hooghly: River Of Shame

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 in The Times Of India

Environment Land Use Urban Development India Rivers Riverfronts Hooghly River Kolkata View More

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