Green Oasis In South Kolkata
The 3-km green belt between Durgapur Bridge and Majerhat Bridge along the northern side of the Majerhat-New Alipore rail tracks had emerged as a key urban biodiversity hub through sustained citizen efforts. Residents now fear that the remaining 1.5-km stretch, from Alipore Avenue Extension East to Durgapur Bridge, could face a similar fate. Residents say they recently obtained documents showing that Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority (SMPA), which owns the land, entered into a 30-year lease with a private developer for more than 12,000 sq m on Alipore Avenue Extension West. Conservationist and lawyer Mantu Hait — the brain behind the drive — along with locals and nature organisations, including Prakriti Samsad, Nature Mates and Alipore Environment Society, started leading efforts to restore the degraded area around 2005. The resulting habitat now supports more than 100 tree species and a rich diversity of birds, butterflies, mammals and dragonflies.
The western stretch has already lost much of its greenery following development-related activity. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolkata | Silver Rate in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Petrol Price in Kolkata | Diesel Price in Kolkata | CNG Price in Kolkata | LPG Price in Kolkata Stay updated with the latest Kolkata news.
“Will the Port land embankment of Chetla Boat Canal on Alipore Avenue Extension East up to Durgapur Bridge go for auction, like it has been for AA Extension West?” asked Sarajit Mitra, a resident of the area since 1966. He said residents would welcome a dialogue with Port on further developing and managing the remaining area as an urban forest. “We planted saplings and dispersed seeds, with several species, including date and tamarind, surviving and gradually transforming the landscape,” Hait said. He also used a “guerrilla gardening” approach, sowing fruit-tree seeds during summer so that the subsequent monsoon could aid the growth of several trees within a small area. Hait says the patch is particularly valuable in a densely built-up part of south Kolkata, providing both habitat and a rare open green space for people living around Alipore and Chetla. “If our cities are to breathe tomorrow, we must invest in green spaces today,” said Vivek Burman, another resident. A senior forest department official of the utilisation department, which manages permissions and regulations related to tree felling in urban jurisdictions, said that in the past few years they have received applications for tree-felling nods from Port authorities from the area, some for metro-related work, too. “However, I can’t comment on this particular stretch,” the official added. Arjan Basu Roy of Nature Mates Nature Club said that Chetla forest is a vital refuge for Kolkata’s urban biodiversity, supporting native flora and fauna while providing essential ecological services.
Kolkata: Residents and green activists in south Kolkata are making a fresh attempt to save the remaining green stretch of the Chetla forest tract after a significant portion of the urban forest along Alipore Avenue Extension West was cleared for development. The proposed uses include mercantile and business buildings, institutional and assembly buildings, and commercial storage and warehousing. For residents, the concern now is what happens to the eastern stretch. The green patch is the result of more than a decade of citizen-led conservation. The site had once been a dry dumpyard. “After Covid, open green spaces is essential for those living in multistorey buildings. The urban forests bring us closest to nature,” added Mitra. Messages and calls to Port authorities went unanswered. “We urge the Port authorities to ensure its permanent protection as a forest. If assured, Nature Mates will voluntarily assess its biodiversity and share the findings with them,” he added. “This forest is the green lung of Chetla, Alipore, New Alipore, Majerhat and Taratala. The small but vital green patch also acts as a natural carbon sink, helping absorb emissions from the large volume of vehicular traffic crossing the Majerhat and New Alipore bridges round the clock,” added Hait. Download the TOI App.