Greatcities, they say, are ones that grow around a river. London developed around theThames. Rome wasn't built in a day but it sure grew around the Tiber as didParis around Siene. Vienna has Danube, Moscow's got Moskva. Alexandria and Cairoshare Nile. Baghdad grew around Tigris, Istanbul around Bosphoros and Amsterdamaround Amstel.
India is no exception. Delhi was built around Yamuna and Kolkata next to Hooghly. Sadly, that's where the comparison ends. While rivers continue to be the heart, soul and pride of major cities around the world, Yamuna has been choked to death and Hooghly lies abused and neglected.
Ironically, but for river Hooghly, Job Charnock would not havelanded here over three centuries ago. There would have been no major settlementto string together the three villages of Kalikata, Sutanuti and Gobindapur intoa thriving metropolis that Kolkata is today.
Between Prinsep Ghatand Bagbazar, the river flows for over a dozen kilometres along the western edgeof Kolkata. But it is only for a short 1.5 km stretch between Babu Ghat andPrinsep 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 arehoused on its edge, or inexplicably hidden behind a high wall.
The purpose, itappears, is to shield the city from a shame but what actually ought to have beenits greatest asset and pride.
"For an eternity, Kolkata has turned its back onits river, unlike Paris or London, and paid a heavy price for the apathy," saysarchitect Charles Correa. Saddened by the condition of the riverfront, Correahad offered help to bring the river back into the consciousness of the city butthe government failed to grab the opportunity.
"Where else in theworld would you have a sacred river flowing by with majestic buildings in thebackdrop? Yet, there is no connect between the city and the river. The cityshould be a celebration of the river Hooghly," Correa remarks.
Thesection to the north of Howrah bridge that is dotted with derelict ghats,illegal warehouses and a crematorium is essentially a vast open toilet zone andappears beyond redemption. There is a possibility of reclaiming the riverfrontto the south of the bridge but it remains a picture of despair due to sheer lackof initiative.
A walk down south of Howrah bridge, this stretchreveals the extent of apathy towards the city's greatest heritage. There arehalf a dozen ghats with both historical and architectural significance. But onlyPrinsep Ghat, built in 1843, stands magnificently among the ruins. Rich in Greekand Gothic inlays, the monument was restored by the state public worksdepartment in November 2001 and has since been well-maintained.
Ofthe rest, only the Man-O-War jetty that belongs to Indian Navy is properlymaintained but has no architectural significance. The most exquisite of them allRamchandra Goenka bathing ghat for women lies in utter neglect. The magnificentedifice with its exquisitely-shaped Islamic dome and gorgeous tiled floor andwalls lies uncared for and misused.
The ghat, meant exclusively foruse by women, is today a hang-out for pot-smokers and card gamblers. Thepanoramic view of Howrah bridge, as it stretches across the Hooghly, is lost inthe stench from the filth and grime that numbs thesenses.
"When I was young, these ghats were splendid. They wereclean and unsullied. Now, with so much of muck strewn around, it is a hazard towalk down for a bath. And with boys and men invading the ghats, there is noprivacy. Hence, few women, except elders like me, come here," says octogenarianAngurbala Devi, the sole female at the ghat occupied by over a dozen men oneafternoon.
The Rajasthani haveli-type dormitory or dharmashala builtby Seth Surajmal Jalan Trust on Jagannath Ghat; the corinthian columns at MuttySeal Ghat, the typically British Rashmoni Ghat with cast iron pillars and timberlouvres and the simplicity of Chotelal Ghat are all splendid pieces ofarchitecture but lie in utter neglect. These apart, there are the Gunpat RayKalyan (ladies bathing) Ghat, Armenian ferry Ghat, Outram Ghat, Judges Ghat,Pani Ghat and Meen Mangal Ghat.
"The ghats can serve as punctuationson a landscaped riverfront. All that is needed is proper restoration and athorough clean-up. They can continue to serve cultural, social, religious andutilitarian purposes but be more humane and aesthetic," said landscape architectSuchandra Bardhan.
While the stretch of riverfront between KingswayBabughat and Fairlie Place ferry ghat particularly the Circular Railway track isan open defecation ground all year round, it is worse during Ganga Sagar Melawhen thousands of pilgrims turn it into a free-for-all latrine. It becomes astink zone.
Apart from the ghats, there are four Victorianwarehouses located along Strand Road. One of them, the Fairlie warehouse, hasbeen restored by Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) and converted into a MaritimeArchives and Heritage Centre. Don't worry if you haven't heard of it. Mostpeople in the city haven't, ether. Not only is the entrance to the buildingobscure, there is no signage on Strand Road to tell people what it is.
The other three warehouses Canning, Clive and Strand remain indecrepit state. Strand Warehouse, which is architecturally the best of the lot,lies in the worst condition. Its top roof has collapsed, baring the interiorstructure to elements that will only hasten its degeneration.
Therehave been attempts to chalk out a renovation blueprint for the warehouses butbureaucratic red tape and scepticism have grounded such initiatives. The BritishDeputy High Commission got the London Rivers Association to offer its expertisebased on knowledge of regeneration of the London Docklands and other port citiesin the UK.
"London has converted a derelict gas station into thecelebrated Tate Modern art gallery. Canary Wharf is a great example of how deadzones can be revived with minimum intervention. In Kolkata, the warehouses havea similar potential and can be converted to hubs for art, culture, retail andentertainment. This will create the necessary connect between the riverfront andcitizens," said London Rivers Association chairman George Nicholson, whosereport on regeneration of the waterfront is gathering dust.
A team of experts, led by architect and planner ParthaRanjan Das, researched riverfront developments at London, Birmingham, Paris,Marseilles, Shanghai and Osaka to see what made them click. The suggestions atthe end of the study was to improve visibility of the river by pulling downdefunct godowns and walls and development of urban interaction centres likeopen-air theatres, food courts and waterside cafes that require minimumintervention. He made presentations to all stakeholders, including chiefminister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. But their efforts yielded noresult.
The only worthwhile attempt to make the river accessible wasthe development of Millennium Park along a kilometre-long stretch by KolkataMetropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Its manicured park, promenade,amphitheatre, children's activity zones and riverside caf? attract nearly amillion visitors a year.
"The popularity of the Millennium Park goesto show the people's keenness to embrace the river and indicates the immensepossibilities of converting the riverfront into a recreation and rejuvenationzone," said restoration architect Manish Chakraborty.
Sadly, a turfwar between rival workers' unions kept the Millennium Park out of bounds forthree months, accentuating the myriad hurdles that development projects in thecity face.
Getting the Millennium Park project going was itself aHerculean task, given the number of stakeholders involved: KoPT, KMDA, railways,public works department (PWD), Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), West Bengaltourism and inland waterways authority. While all of them have well-meaningdevelopment plans for the riverfront, lack of coordination and bureaucratic redtape have left many frustrated.
Some projects like the rejuvenationof Armenian Ghat Street or Strand Bank Road and development of a flower marketto replace the thatched stalls on either side of a slushy, stinking lane alongthe river bank have been stuck on the drawing board for ages.
Acouple of initiatives that did see the light of the day have degenerated to theearlier state of ruin due to lack of maintenance. A stretch of the riverbank,next to the Man-O-War Jetty that was beautified by KMDA, is now in a shambles.The entire stone pathway has been dug up to lay a pipeline for carrying waterfrom the Hooghly to Fort William. Three other Millennium Parks, developed by KMCalongside Babu Ghat, lie unknown and unused, obscured from public view by thebus terminus.
Next to Outram Ghat, a two-level Viewer's Gallery ownedand maintained by KoPT provides a panoramic view of the river, but lies shut.Close by is the Gwalior Monument, a beautiful blend of Islamic and Europeanarchitecture that was restored by PWD in 2000. It is still well kept but beyondpublic access. The only sign of life within is a lungi and an undergarment on aclothesline. Presumably, they belong to thecaretaker.
Along the entire stretch of the riverfront, there areonly two eateries where families can step in. There's the Prinsep restaurant,oppose Calcutta Swimming Club, which serves Chinese and Indian food but has noconnection with the river.
And then there is Scoop. Earlier calledGay, the restaurant once served the best pizza in town but now dishes out anapology of the favourite Italian meal. In fact, two rustic lads now man thepizzeria, a far cry from the Italian chef who baked cheesy delights. The frenchfries are pathetic and the ice-cream stale.
But the first floor ofthe musty, poorly air-conditioned, unhygienic restaurant still provides the bestview of the river. Seated before the sheer glass frontage overlooking the river,Sukirat Sethi and Indrani Chakraborty reminiscence the old days when they werecolleagues at a courier firm office in the city and would often come down for abite at the Scoop.
Now married and in Bangalore, they manage to comedown to the city once in a couple of years because they miss the connection withthe river. Enjoying the breathtaking view of the Hooghly and chewing a slice ofrubbery pizza, Sethi laments the steady decline of theriverfront.
"Every time we come down to Kolkata, there are distinctchanges to the city. Roads have improved, flyovers have been constructed to easetraffic, there are swanky malls and condominiums... Sadly, the riverfront is theonly section that has gone from bad to worse. For us, it still retains its charmbecause we have a connection with the river. But for most, the river liesalienated. It is so sad that a river so beautiful has no takers. It's onlyduring immersions and rituals related to death that people come here," heremarks.
Chakraborty, who recalled the childhood Sunday eveningjaunts along the promenade with her favourite' dadu KP Chatterjee, wishedsomeone did something to spruce up the city's greatest heritage. "The city'sgreatest icon is the Howrah bridge across the Hooghly. There is so muchopportunity for tourism. Make it a destination where people would love to comewith their family and friends. We had heard of a river cruise and wanted tolunch on a boat and take a ride down the river but couldn't locate aninformation booth. How much does it take to set up kiosks where people hand outinformation and sell tickets for pleasure rides on the river?" sheasks.
Octogenarian Chatterjee, who was gingerlychaperoning Sethi and Chakraborty's daughter Suhani around the crumblingpromenade, pointed out how hazardous it was for the elderly to negotiate thebroken pathway. "Even a stroll is difficult. I've been to several cities aroundthe world where the river is the prime attraction. The Sienne in Paris or theTiber in Rome is no match to the Hooghly. Yet the riverfront is an integral partof life in these cities. Here, it is death and decadence," hesays.
Conservationist Manish Chakraborty believes all is not lostyet; it is possible to recover the riverfront but requires political will andforesight. He suggests setting up of a special purpose vehicle comprising allstakeholders to chalk out a comprehensive blueprint for the corridor.
"Christen the project Special City Zone and look beyond a cosmeticimprovement to a holistic development that can reclaim the heritage, addressredundancies like derelict warehouses and also explore business possibilities.Create a win-win opportunity and there will surely be takers," Chakrabortysuggests.
