Kolkata's nalas and khals are rotting pits of filth. Their revival, interlinking and beautification plan is buried in the past as deep as the filth in them!
We started out on a journey from the villages in 24 Paraganas North. With new construction booming in the outskirts specially in areas of Rajarhat toward Harua and Kholibari, the nalas and khals are being reclaimed for building high rises. Whatever is left of these surface water bodies is being used to dump garbage and human waste. As one walks along these beautiful and still standing tree lined paths, one cannot escape the increasing smell of rotting garbage. The once long lines of nalas and khals lining the road have all but disappeared.
Moving from Rajarhat towards Baguihati and Kestopur, the images are more dismal. The black sluggish khals with their strong smells is enough to curdle the food in your stomach! They are again the dumping ground of filth and raw untreated human excreta from surrounding houses. The connecting bridges across these khals are as dilapated as ever and getting worse.
Moving towards Bangur Avenue on VIP road is a repetition of the same sad story. The once beautifully lined trees along the khal from Bangur Avenue to Lake Town has been cut in the name of beautification. Only one of the bridges linking the two banks of the khal has been built.
Only 5% of the rainwater reached the table in Kolkata. These natural sources of water are either being closed off by construction activities or they are left rot. The cleaning and dredging of these water bodies is non existent.
The same fate awaits the small ponds and lakes that dot the topography of a city which is fast becoming a concrete jungle. The benefits of ensuring these water bodies and the ecosystem balance that they provide is all but forgotten. With their disappearing we are losing not only a vital ecosystem and all means of sustaining the water balance for a city. India is already a water stressed country with many town and cities facing water crisis. Kolkata will be the new entrant in a long list of drying cities.
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