Kolkata: The cleanup of the 8-acre Bikramgarh Jheel, which involved removing water hyacinth and piling saal logs along the banks, has enthused local residents who have long been demanding the restoration of the waterbody, often described as an oasis in the concrete jungle.Bikramgarh is south Kolkata’s second-largest water body after Rabindra Sarobar. The jheel, which was 14 acres once, has now been reduced to around 8 acres.The long-neglected jheel, located between the South City residential complex to the north and smaller houses along Prince Gulam Hussain Shah Road to the south, came into the spotlight after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation shared a video of an excavator on a floating platform clearing the thick layer of water hyacinth that covered the waterbody.“We encourage citizens to visit the waterbody at Prince Gulam Hussain Shah Road, ward 93, Borough X. Waiting to see your selfies at the spot!” read the post.A second post by the civic body showed two photographs — one taken before the cleanup and the other after. “It took a fortnight, 90 mandays, a floating vessel, an earth excavator and conservancy lorries to clean up the jheel,” said a civic official.“Well done. Do continue the good work and please clean up the plastic that is choking all our water bodies,” wrote Sagarika Devi. The post also prompted many others to urge KMC to carry out similar cleanup drives at other water bodies.Bengali folk-fusion band Bhoomi co-founder Soumitra Ray, who lives in the neighbourhood and actively campaigned for the restoration of Bikramgarh Jheel, said the cleanup was extremely welcome.“I sent a message about the poor condition of the waterbody to minister Agnimitra Paul. Prior to that, I took up the matter with former CM Mamata Banerjee. Ensuring the jheel’s survival should be a priority. Despite our Bikramgarh Jheel Bachao members’ repeated pleas the former government did nothing to help! We are frustrated and trust you and the new government will take up the matter soon,” he said, pointing out that funds allocated for the restoration and beautification of the jheel have been misused.Mamata Banerjee had in 2015 expressed interest in restoring the jheel following appeals by Ray and other local residents. She proposed a Rs 7.8-crore AMRUT scheme project for its restoration and beautification. After Rs 1.4 crore was spent on various works, including bank reinforcement with saal logs, the project stopped unexpectedly. The cleanup operation was expedited after the change in govt.Residents hope the cleanup will help stop the creeping encroachment by land sharks. A citizens’ group and an environmental action group managed to prevent further encroachment for a few years, but once the jheel was obscured by water hyacinth, the vegetation cover allowed opportunistic individuals to quietly dump building waste and other material into the waterbody without drawing attention.“Several houses have come up in the past three-four decades. Back then, environmental consciousness was low. Hundreds of ponds have disappeared in Behala, Kasba and other areas as well. But we have become more aware in the past 20-25 years. Yet, the assault on Bikramgarh continues. We hope the new govt will be more empathetic to the needs of local residents who desperately want this jheel to not only survive but flourish,” said Biswajit Dey, a local resident who, along with others, has been trying to drum up support for the conservation of the waterbody.
