Following the Water : An Urban Ecology Expedition Across Kolkata

About this place

What if a waterlogged street was the beginning of a journey rather than the end of your commute? Join us as we trace the journey of water across Kolkata, travelling from the western edge of the city at Bagbazar Lock Gate to the eastern wetlands at Bantala Lock Gate. Following the course of two historic drainage channels, we'll uncover how a city built on one of the world's largest deltas has learned to live with water for over two centuries. Along the way, we'll explore canals, lock gates and pumping stations, discovering how history, hydrology and ecology have together shaped Kolkata's landscape. Why do some rivers slowly disappear? Could geological events thousands of kilometres away influence the fate of a river closer home? Why do canals still matter in a modern metropolis? And how does a city's wastewater eventually become the foundation of a globally significant wetland ecosystem? Travelling along canal-side roads, we'll pause at key junctions where the city's hidden water story unfolds. The expedition begins at Bagbazar Lock Gate, passes through the vicinity of the Palmer Pumping Station and Dhapa Pumping Station, before culminating in a guided ecological walk around Bantala Lock Gate, where the city's engineered drainage network meets the living landscape of the East Kolkata Wetlands. More than a tour of urban infrastructure, this is a journey through Kolkata's hidden waterscape—a story of rivers, engineering, ecology and people that continues to shape the city even today.