26th WORLD CANAL CONFERENCE

TOULOUSE - FRANCE

INLAND WATERWAYS FOR LOW-COST

ECO - FRIENDLY URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
THE CASE OF KOLKATA

SOBHANLAL BONNERJEE
The Ganga flows through the fertile heartland of North
India providing the only access to it from sea.

DELHI

BRAHMAPUTRA

KOLKATA

MOUTH

Her mighty tributaries: Yamuna from West, Shone from

Central, Brahmaputra from East formed the ancient
network of waterways linking kingdoms.
 RIVERS ARE ALWAYS CONSIDERED SACRED IN INDIA

The Ganga is the holiest as it serves the maximum no. of people.

Hardwar: the River Allahabad: Confluence

descends in the Plains of Yamuna and Ganga.
 Gangasagar: The Ganga
meets the sea.

Varanasi An ancient
township.
 GANGA
The mouth of the Ganges
is a natural location of a
port.The ancient port of Farakka

Tamralipta was situated JHARKHAND

there (near Haldia)

The Ganges and her
Krishnanagar
many tributaries Ajay, Durgapur
Ganga
Damodar, Mayurakshi, (Hoogly)

Rupnarayan, Haldi etc. Hoogl y

formed the network of Kolkata

navigable waterways. Mednipur

Tamralipta
Holdi
ORISSA
Kolkata is 140 kms
upstream from the sea.
Adam Smith (1776) In Wealth of Nations
In Bengal, the Ganges and several other great rivers form a great
number of navigable canals in the same manner as the Nile does
in Egypt the Indians... seem to have derived their great
opulence from this inland Navigation.
Source 2011 PROF. CHAKROBORTY ANTARIN,

(Major) James Rennell (1793) Memoir of a Map of the Peninsula of India,

The Ganga and Brahmaputra Rivers together with their numerous
branches and adjuncts intersect the country of Bengal in such a
variety of directions, as to form the most complete and easy
inland navigation that can be conceived. So equally and so
admirably diffused are those natural canals over a country that
approaches nearly a perfect plan..
PROF. J. WHITELEGG (1996) SCHOOL OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT JOHN MOORE UNIVERSITY, U.K.
Water Transport is greatly under-utilized in Kolkata. the River
Hoogly and the Canal system offer enormous potential to provide
alternative passenger services on a north-south axis (Hoogly)
and provide east-west and circular possibilities
using the canal system.
European merchants Bansbaria
Kalyani
Gayeshpur
came via the Ganges. Kanchrapara
Halisahar
Hoogly-
Crossing the unsafe parts Chunchura
Chandannagar
Naihati

through mangrove forests (the

SUNTI
Bhatpara
Bhadreswar
Champdani
Garulia
Sundarbans), the British settled Baidyabati North Barakpur
Barakpur
in Kolkata, already a center of Srirampur
Titagarh
Rishra Barasat
trade. Konnagar
Khardah
Kamar Madhyamgram
Uttarpara hati New Barakpur
It was on the eastern bank Bally
North Dum Dum
Dum Dum
Barahanagar
unlike the settlements of Howrah
Rajarhat
South Dum Dum

French, Danish, Portuguese etc. Bidhannagar

Kolkata
These eventually
constituted the Kolkata Uluberia
Budge
Budge
Sonarpur
Rajpur

Metropolitan Area
(K.M.A. )in the form of a String -
Baruipur
of-Beads.
The total length of natural waterways and canals in the greater Kolkata area is 1785 kms.
kms.
Major Tolly, a British, dug up the Adiganga & connected her with the Vidyadhari for transportation of
goods from the Sundarbans and the East Bengal (now Bangladesh). A lot of other canals were
subsequently dug up mainly for drainage and trade.

SUNTI
1910 KESHTOPUR KHAL
1898 BHANGAR KATA
KHAL
1859 -- NEW CUT KHAL
1830 CIRCULAR KHAL
1828 BHANGAR KHAL
1810 -- BELEGHATA KHAL
1775 -- TOLLYS NULLAH
TOLLYS NULLAH
CANALS DEGRADED AS RAILWAYS &
ROADS TOOK OVER
FILLED UP FOR HIGHWAYS OR DESTROYED FOR
ELEVATED RAILWAYS
THE NEW URBANISATION MUST BE
LOW-COST, SUSTAINABLE, ECO-FRIENDLY
= 300 million urban = 585 million
population - 300 millions
=285 million
New urbanized
45% Population.
30% 55%
= 57 million
70% families

India will have 68 cities with a population of 1 million plus.

Rs. 5000 Billion needed only for the minimum expenditure for
Urban infrastructure in next 20 years

(Mckinsey Global Institute in Indias Urban Awakening.)

1993 Seminar on Water Resources in West Bengal
organised by School of Water resources
Jadavpur University Inland Water Transport in
West Bengal Approach To An Integrated System
In Kolkata Metropolitan Region & Kolkata
Metropolitan District
paper presented by S.BONNERJEE &
M.CHATTERJEE

1996 The River Hoogly (Ganga) and the Canal

system offer enormous potential to provide alternative
passenger services on a North-South axis (Hoogly=Ganga)
and provide East-West and Circular possibilities Using the
CANAL SYSTEM

PROF. JOHN WHITELEGG

SCHOOL OF THER BUILT ENVIRONMENT
JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY, LIVERPOOL,U.K
1997 Seminar on
Restoration of Canal
Waterways in & Around Calcutta
Under the auspices of Dufferin Rajendra Old
Cadets Association, Calcutta
1997 Calcutta Environmental Management
Strategy and Action Plan (CEMSAP)
Dept. of Environment, Govt. of West Bengal
assisted by UK Overseas Development
Administration

1998 The River & The City

Seminar organized by
Sea Explorers Institute, Kolkata
1998 -- Formation of KEIP (KOLKATA ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM)
A multi-agency Endeavour, Started Work
on project costing 401.37 million US
dollars with Asian Development Bank
Finance + DFID,UK assistance for capacity
building of KMC.

2002 -- KEIP Started Work.

2009 KEIP II
4 Main Canals are to be desilted and
restored.

2010 -- Completion of 1st Phase.

PROJECT COVERED : SEWERAGE SYSTEM
: DRAINAGE SYSTEM
: SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
: SLUM IMPROVEMENT
: CANAL REHABILITATION
: CAPACITY BUILDING
 WETLAND INTERNATIONAL
Plan suggests Rejuvenation of river courses of
Vidyadhari, Nonagong, Piyali, Adiganga, Suntee
Nowae. and De-silting of sewage disposal channel to
EKW (EAST KOLKATA WETLANDS) + Major Canals .

This improves the ecological system of EKW, a

RAMSAR site of 12000 Hectares with 200 ponds,
which recycles 1000 million liters of raw sewage by
natural chemistry & Sunlight and saves Rs. 5000
million per year cost of treatment in plants. It also
provides livelihood of 100000 people engaged in
Fish and Vegetable farming.

(SOURCE: SURVEY by ISI (INDIAN STATISTICAL INSTITUTE)

 WATERWAYS
(EIRR) ECONOMIC INTERNAL RATE OF RETURN
17%
While 5% is accepted by world Bank for Public Utility Project

3000 new jobs are supported by operation of

each Kilometer of NWI & NW 2 Waterways.
In assessment of the IWT projects social cost-
benefit is important.
 The Canals and Waterways in Metropolitan Area
must be planned as integral components of its
Development Plan. These must be restored and
rejuvenated. These will play multifunctional role in
Planning for the city and its infrastructure.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
AT CITY LEVEL:
To improve the environment
To create parkways along the banks
To prevent water logging of the city streets
To provide water for civic purposes
To help Tourism and passenger transport
 AT METROPOLITAN DISTRICT LEVEL:

To maximize goods transport by waterways

To direct metropolitan growth and Land-use
To support the urban form

AT METROPOLITAN REGIONAL LEVEL:

To maximize goods transport

To help balanced regional growth
 CANALS WITH A FLOW

CAN BE THE CORES OF

LINEAR PARKWAYS.
 CANAL AS A WATERBODY

IN CONTRAST TO

BUILT - UP CITYSCAPE

CANAL WITH GREEN BANKS

IN A CENTRAL AREA
AS LINEAR OPEN SPACE
AFFECTS
AFFECTS THE MICRO-
MICRO-CLIMATE FAVORABLY.
PROVIDES
PROVIDES RECREATIONAL FACILITIES: BOATING, SAILNG.
CAN
CAN BE USED FOR LEISURE CRUISES, TOURISM.
SUPPORTS
SUPPORTS AQUATIC BIO-
BIO-DIVERSITY.
 CAN WORK AS SUPPLY LINES FOR WETERWORKS,
INDUSTRIES,CIVIC USES.
CAN PROVIDE DRAINAGE AND PREVENT
WATERLOGGING etc.
CAN HELP RAINWATER HARVESTING.
CAN PROVIDE ENCLOSURES TO VARIOUS ZONES.
MOST IMPORTANTLY
CAN BE USED FOR
TRANSPORTATION
OF GOODS &
PASSENGERS
 COST OF INFRASTRUCTURE
Construction Cost of 2012
1 K.M. of Rs.

WATERWAY Rs. 45,00,000

HIGHWAY Rs.1,20,00,000

RAILWAY Rs.3,00,00,000
 CHEAPER

Cost per 100 ton kilometer

INLAND
HIGHWAY
WATERWAYS

$ 1.5 $5

SOURCE: Study conducted by School of

Planning & Architecture,
New Delhi, India. (06-07)
 Transportation of 1 Ton of Cargo with

WATER RAILWAY
HIGHWAY
WAYS S

1 LITRE
OF 218 K.M. 85 K.M. 25 K.M.
FUEL

Plus Savings and Social-economic benefits

a) Prevention of Road accidents in 5 years will save Rs.200 million
b) Lesser Congestion of Roads
c) Lesser Pollution
(Source: Study by DR. P.K. Sarkar, Dr. V. Maiti & Others of SPA)
 Waterways must have a prominent
designated role in the transportation
plan for an urban area.

Best suited for freight transport and

passenger transports of special nature.

Water transportation plan must be

complementary to road and rail transport
and integrated with land use plan.
 GOODS MOST SUITABLE FOR INLAND
WATER TRANSPORT IN URBAN AREAS

Agricultural products : Cereals, Hay, Vegetables

Forest Products : Timber, Fruits, Flowers

Construction Materials : Bricks, Stone Chips, Fly Ash
Sand, Cement, Earth etc.
Mineral Products : Iron Ore, Coal, etc.
Industrial Products : Textiles, Chemicals
Fertilisers, Machineries
 ORIGINS AND DESTINATIONS

PORTS
FACTORIES
RAILWAY
YARDS CONSTRUCTION
INLAND SITES
TRUCK WATERWAYS
TERMINUS INLAND
PORTS WHOLESALE
RURAL MARKETS
PRODUCTION
CENTRES
SHOPPING CENTRES
INDUSTRIAL
ZONES
CONTAINERISATION OF WATERWAYS
CAN ATTRACT MANY NEW
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS TO THIS
MODE OF TRANSPORT

INTERMODAL
TRANSPORT INTERCHANGES
WILL BE NECESSARY PARTS OF THE
TRANSPORTATION PLAN INVOLVING
WATERWAYS
 WATER SUPPLY TO RAJARHAT NEW TOWN
DESIGNED FOR 1 MILLION PEOPLE RESIDENTS + DAYTIME
140 Litres per Capita Daily & 45 LPCD
TWO ALTERNATIVES
Supply filtered water though pipelines from old or new
waterworks at Hoogly Bank
Supply unfiltered water through Existing Canal and treat
water in NEWTOWN for distribution through U.G. pipes.
The 2nd Alternative was chosen for

Lesser cost of supply and also indirect benefits

Operational advantages-
advantages- . Faster in implementation
Obtaining earth for filling up low lying areas from excavation.
excavation.
Lesser land acquisition and legal problems
THE PROPOSED

E.A.W.

SUNTI
SCHEME
SHOWING MAIN

SUNTI
WATER WAYS

HOWRAH DRAINAGE
W.A.W.

E.A.W.
CANAL

ADIGANGA
PROPOSED WATERWAY NETWORK
IN AND AROUND KOLKATA METROPOLITAN AREA
A new look, a new dimension to the
Urban Texture of Kolkata.
THANK YOU NAMASKAR