Chapter two: Historical

background of Kolkata and its

Construction Industry
Introduction:

Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of West Bengal. This ‘City of
Palaces’ is the gateway to the east. There are many stories behind the name of Kolkata.
Some people say that the city has derived its name from the word ‘Kalikshetra’ meaning land
of goddess ‘Kali’ while others believe that Kolkata owes its name to lime (kali) and burnt shell
(kata), a material for whose manufacturing the place was famous. While others think that
since the city was situated besides the Canal (khal), it came to be known as Kolkata.53 It is
located in the eastern bank of the river Hooghly, The city has a population of almost 4.5
million, with an extended metropolitan population of over 14 million, making it the third- largest
agglomeration and the fourth- largest city in India. Kolkata served as the capital of India
during the British Raj until 1911. The major population of Kolkata comprises of Bengalis.
I,"

Kolkata witnessed economic stagnation in the years following India’s Independence

in 1947. However, since the year 2000 an economic rejuvenation has arrested the morbid
decline, leading to a spurt in the city’s growth. Like other large cities, Kolkata continues to
struggle with urbanisation problems like poverty, pollution and traffic congestion. Kolkata is
noted for its revolutionary history, ranging from the Indian struggle for independence to the
leftist and trade union movements.

The ‘City of Palaces’ is often dotted with colonial buildings. The transport system of
Kolkata is a mix of modem mass rapid transport and the old transport modalities like the
rickshaws. There are many ways to get in Kolkata. One can choose from different options like
airways, trains, buses, taxies, metros etc. Kolkata is connected to the rest of India by the
national highways, the extensive network of the Indian Railways, and also by air. The major
airport of Kolkata is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport and two main railway stations are
Sealdah and Howrah. The famous stock exchange of the city, Kolkata Stock Exchange is one
of the largest stock exchanges of India.

Historical background of Kolkata: Development of Kolkata from Marshes to Metropolis:

The history of Kolkata (the then Kolkata is called as Calcutta) traces back to the 15th
century. In Mansa Mangal (1495), it is mentioned that the renowned trader Chand Sadagar

53. http://www.mapsofIndia.com

40
passed by Kalikata to offer prayers to goddess Kali at Kalighat temple.54 It is probable that

Ghat was transliterated in English as Ghata (just as Rani is written Rama) and thus Kalighat
became Kalighata and its transition to Kalikata is easy to follow.(Suhrawardy:1921:8).6S

It is known that between Koila Ghat and Chandpal Ghat was the mouth of a navigable
creek which flowed from the Salt Lake at Baliaghattta through the Modem Creek Row,
Wellington Square and the locality called Dingibhanga56. Chandney, the junction of

Dhurrumtola and Bentick Street is located at the Government place and along the present
Hastings Street to the river Hooghiy. According to Roy (1901), “Lalbazar1, John Bazar; Bartala
Bazar; Sham Bazar; New Bazar were all situated in “Dee Kolkata*.57 KaliKhetra was the name

of the surrounding land and it is said to have derived its sanctity and its name from the fact
that the toes of Sati or Kali, the wife of Shiva had dropped on the site of the present temple.
Another name of the Kali is Bhabani and the adjacent village of Bhabanipore is also named
after her.68

When the Portuguese first began to frequent Bengal about the year 1530, the two
great centres of trade were Chittagaong in the east, and Satgaon in the west In Garden
Reach, therefore was the anchoring place of the Portuguese. Towards the end of the
sixteenth century the merchant princes of Porto Piquero were forced to seek another market
for their trades. 1

Rev. Long describes that Hooghiy was named by the European as Bhagirathy. It was
a fact that the Saraswati Khal which then was a very wide running stream from Katwa and
Tribeni down to Satgaon was the mighty Bhagirathy stream and Satagaon was a renowned
trading post (Roy: 1982: 8S).69 Surveyor Rennel wrote at that time that in 1566 the Satagaon

river was capable of bearing small vessels along by way of Adampur, Omptah and
Tamluk....... the river being called the Old Ganges. The banks of Saraswati and Tribeni
formed the ancient boundary of the kingdom of Orissa, later part of which became along with
Bihar and part of Assam, became the big province of Bengal.

After the Portuguese came the Dutch, who had in 1625 made their way to Bengal and
now, established themselves at Pipli and Chinsurah. The English were still continuing with

M. Cotton, H.EA, Calcutta Old and New: A Historical mid Descriptive Handbook to the City, W. Newman and Co,
Dalhousie Square Calcutta, 1907, p. 4.
m. Suhrawardy, H., Calcutta and Environs: AH lliustated Guide to Places of Interest and to Excursions ki and around
Calcutta, Bengal, ELE.Rallway, 1921, p.8.

,6m. The name Dingibhanga is given to the locality on account of a boat having been wrecked there during a cyclone,
just as Uita Dlngi derives its name from another accident in which a boat was capsized during a storm.
S7' Roy, A.K., “Short History of Calcutta", Census of India, Government of India, New Delhi, 1901, p; 4

“.Suhrawardy, H., Calcutta and Environs: AH Illustrated Guide to Places of Interest and to Excursions In and around
Calcutta, Bengal, E.E.Railway, 1921,p.5.
59 Dr. Roy, Blren., Marshes to Metropolis Calcutta, National Council of Education, New Era Publisher, Calcutta, 1982,
p. 25.

41
trade at Balasore and Hariharpore in Orissa and it was not until the days of the great protector
Oliver that they returned up the river to Hooghiy.

When the Europeans first started commercial relations in Bengal, Satgaon and
Hooghiy were the chief ports. With the decline of Satgaon on account' of the shifting course of

the river, the port of Hooghiy rose to great eminence under the Portuguese and the Dutch
merchants and the river Bhagirathi came to be called as the river Hooghiy after this important
town on its west bank. The Dutch had established a factory at Chinsurah in 1625 and the
English factory was completed in 1658, at Kassim Bazar.

The Armenian by 1660 made Kolkata a reputed trading centre and had built an
Armenian Church but even two decades prior to this the Armenians were with the Dutch
traders in Chinsurah, Hooghiy.
*

The Ganges had always been the great commercial waterway of Bengal and as a
consequence of the impetus caused by the diversion of trade of Satgaon from other channels
into the Bhagirathi, villages sprang up rapidly on either side of its bank in spite of the
unhealthiness and the marshy nature of the country. Like many other villages in this part of
the country, surrounded by tiger-infested jungles and forests of Sundari trees, were the
c
villages of Sutanutty, Gobindapur pnd Kalikata. Job Chamock first came to Bengal in 1686.
He worked at Kassim bazar, Hooghiy, Sutanutty, Uluberia and Hidjli and was associated with
an expedition against the Nawab’s men in which he had to withdraw, after a reverse, to Fort
St. George in Madras in March 1689. He was shortly afterwards superseded by Captain
Heath. Chamock remained there till end of July, and after patching up a rapprochement with
the Nawab, again sailed for Bengal, being re-appointed as the senior Agent of the East India
Company.60

On August 24th 1690, Job Chamock landed at the place known as the Mahanta’s

Ghat near Nimtala Burning Ghat and laid the foundation of Kolkata. In this context a quotation
should be mentioned ... “1690, August 24Ul. The day at Sankrall ordered Captain Brooke to

come up with his vessel to Suttanuty, where we arrived about noon, but found the place in a
deplorable condition, nothing being left for our present accommodation and the rain falling
day and night. We are forced to betake ourselves to boats, which, considering the season of
the year, is very unhealthy, Mullick Burcoodar and the country people, at our leaving this
place, burning and carrying away what they could."(Blechynden: 1905: 3).81

“ Cotton, H.E.A, Calcutta Old and New: A Historical and Descriptive Handbook to the City, W. Newman and Co,
Dalhouste Square Calcutta, 1907, p. 85.

81. Blechynden, K., Calcutta Past and Present, London, W. Thacker and Company, 1905, p. 3.

42
 In this way Kolkata founded and such was the manner of the arrival of Job Chamock
to his last port - the spot where his bones were to lie beneath a stately mausoleum through
the centuries, while the settlement he founded amid every circumstances, of discouragement
and discomfort grew and prospered till it became the capital city of British Empire in India.

Job Chamock, the then Senior Agent of the East India Company, was a very shrewd
man. He deliberately selected this site as the midday halting place of European merchants on
their travel up the river. The story of the midday halt might have been used as a blind for the
Mughal authorities, as the vessels on their way up the river used to halt at Betor, near modem
Sibpore opposite Kolkata. The chief reason which influenced Charnock to select the site
appears to be its commercial and strategic importance.

The site selected by Chamock was peculiarly suitable as a headquarter of the British
trade in Bengal, as the Bhagirathi or the Hooghly river tapped’most of the agriculturally rich
tracts of the Gangetic Valley.

The English came to Bengal about the middle of the ^century as traders. According
to Dr. Roy (1982)62, the East India Company acquired the land rights of the three villages of

Sutanutty, Kolikatta and Gobindapore in the year 1698 from the Roy Chowdhurys. Vidyadhar
Roy got only Rs.1194 - 11 annas - 11 pies as price for those 3 villages. A collector was
appointed and in due course a map of the entire area was prepared. From this old map one
may observe that a canal marked the northern boundary of Sutanutty. It took off from the river
Hooghly and made its way to the Salt Lake in the east The total area of Sutanutty village was
16S2 blghas and 12 cottahs and on Its southern boundary was the village of Kallkata
(Kolkata). The area of this ancient Kolkata was 2206 bighas. South of Kalikata laid
Gobindapore with an area of 1178 bighas and 7 cottahs. The village of Bhabanipore likewise
lay to the south of Kalikata and still further south was the celebrated Kali Temple of Kalighat.
Another creek served as the border between Kalikata and Gobindapore. This creek too
flowed into the Salt Lake.

These three little villages served as the nucleus of Calcutta. A short note about three
riparian villages may not be out of place. Calcutta meanwhile was growing in stature and in
strength. In the Seventeenth Century, Betor53 disappears from history and its name was

changed into the village of Mukwah Tannah and Its foreign market transferred to Sutanutty.
Sutanutty was the most prosperous of the three villages on which the modem city stands. It

** . Dr. Roy, Blren, Marshes to Metropolis Calcutta: Natfona! Council of Education, New Era Publisher, Calcutta,
1962, pp.26-28.

“ . Satagaon, not Hooghly, on the right bank of the river, between Tribeni and Bandel, Is the great port and not
Hooghly. Lower down the river, Betor on the same side was a large market town, where travelers pause to buy
provisions and worship the goddess Chandi.

43
was a cotton mart visited by the European merchants and traders. The name seems to be
derived from Suta (thread) and Lutty (bundle). The word Lutty is pronounced as Nutty by
many Bengalis as a provincialism. It was in the market place of this thriving cotton mart called
Sutanutty “hat" that Job Chamock has said to have sat under a great Peepal tree and while
smoking his “Hookah” evolves his plans of a British settlement. This place was the
Baitakkana,(the sitting place or a place of assembly) from where merchants departed in
bodies to protect each other from robbers, wild beasts and snakes and from where they
dispersed on arrival with merchandise for the factories. It was situated near the present
terminus station of the Eastern Bengal Railway, the Sealdah Station and the tree stand near
the junction of Bow Bazar Street and Lower Circular Road. Only a small Baitakkana bazaar
now survives. There is not a board or a tablet to point out where the tree stood. The old
landmark was filled in 1820 to make room for the new road, then under construction, and
although as a result of an appeal, Lord Hastings interviewed on its behalf, but it was too late.
i

Sealdah was a locality which was not thickly populated and in the jungles near by lived a
great many jackals, hence the name Seadah, a corruption of Persian “Shogal Deh”, or a
jackal village -Bengali Sheal means a Jackal and “Deh” is Persian for a village.

To the south of Sutanutty on the site of which Fort William is now situated, was the
village of Gobindapur. The English capital of India has grown up out of the Union of a group of
river- side places. The great majority settled down at Hooghly; but it is said that four families

of Basaks (weavers) and Setts(money - lenders) cleared the jungle and erected houses there.
They established a hat and a shrine to their patron deity “Visnu” who is called Gobinji whence
the name Gobindapur. The well- known Seal families of Kolkata and the present Mullick
family of Chorebagan were among the early settlers of this place. To the south of the first two
villages there was another village of less importance commercially but more interesting from
the religious point of view of the Hindus. In a lonely part of this viQage near the banks of the
Adi-Ganga or the original Ganges, (modem Tolly's Nulla) was situated a very old temple
dedicated to the dreaded goddess Kali to whom human sacrifices were offered. Kalikhetra
was the name of the surrounding land.

These villages were also situated at the highest point to where the river was
navigable for large sea-going vessels. The site had thus a great advantage over Hooghly, and
Chandemagar( now Chandannagar), being near the sea, coutd provide greater facilities for
sea-borne trade and for withdrawal into safety in case of a reverse, which was actually
awaited in subsequent years after the capture of the town and fort of Calcutta by Siraj-Ud-
Daula. Besides there were no refractory and intriguing factors like the Dutch, Portuguese and
the French to contend with, or the Foujdar of the Nawab and his troops, friction with whom it
was necessary to avoid. Furthermore the site had the advantage of being near enough the
European settlements to keep the English promptly informed of what was going on.
Provisions were also plentiful and could be obtained from the flourishing “hats”. The villages
themselves and the country to the north, east and south were owned by Hindus from whom it
could be obtained on easier terms than the ruling power.

44
 The three villages - Sutanutty, Kolikata and Gobindapore rapidly started to blossom
into bustling towns. By 1706, only 16 years after Chamock had settled in Sutanutty and within
the brief span of 8 years since the British had purchased the Zamindary rights from Roy
Chowdhuris' as started earlier, about 83 acres of Kolikata proper and 19 acres of Bazar(
Burra Bazar) were occupied by people who had built houses and tenements. The remaining
area was developed to rice- fields, gardens and plots for the cultivation of vegetables, tobacco
and betel leaves.

The prosperity of Kolkata continued unabated till it received a set back on being
captured by Nawab Siraj-Ud- Dowla in 1756. The English had not expected the invasion when
hostilities commenced and the Nawab knocked at the gates of Kolkata Governor Drake and
many others officials fled panic stricken to the ships which soon flowed down the river. The
garrison was left to its fate, but put up a stubborn defense under the gallant Irishman Holwell
till it was driven to surrender. He and his companions numbering 146 men and women are
said to have been forced into a small room, measuring 18 by 14 feet, for the night ventilation
was provided by means of only two small grated windows, the heat was intense, the closely
packed crowd endured terrible sufferings and when the morning came and the door was
opened only 23 were found alive. Holwell is said to have saved his life by resorting to the
expediency of sucking his shorts, soaked in perspiration to allay his thirst This is known as
the "Black Hole Tragedy". (Suhrawfardy: 1921: 11).64 The English then withdrew to Madras.

Kolkata was recaptured by Clive and Admiral Watson early in 1757. The prosperous
Mohammedan town of Hooghly was bombarded in retaliation and the sufferings of the victims
of the Black Hole were avenged. The battle of Plassey was fought and Nawab Siraj-Ud-
Dowla’s army defeated and dispersed. He was disposed of and Mir Jafar was put on the
Masnad of Bengal by the English. Siraj- Ud -Dowla fled from Murshidabad, but was captured
in the hills of Rajmahal and brought as a captive to Murshidabad where Miran, the son of Mir
Jafar, put him to death. The company was given adequate indemnity. Heavy compensation
was also paid to the merchants. A part of the money received from the Nawab utilized to build
a new fort The inhabitants were removed and the jungles cleared and the foundations of the
present Fort William were laid. The clearing of the jungle round the fort by Clive led to the
formation of the Maidan which is today the pride of Kolkata. The fort was finished in 1778 and
since then the town of Kolkata has gone on expanding and flourishing uninterruptedly. The
town gave itself upto general rejoicing, and at this happy time says Orme, “Quarrels were
forgotten and enemies became friends." (Blechynden: 1905:67. j66

Warren Hastings obtained permission to build a suspension bridge over the Kaliaghat
Nullah in 1763, on the way to his garden-house at Alipore. In the early days in Kolkata there

M Suhrawardy, H., Calcutta and Environs: All Illustrated Guide to Places of Interest and to Excursions in and around
Calcutta; Bengal, E.ERailway, 1921.

65 .Blechynden, K., Calcutta Past and Present, London, W. Thacker and Company, 1905.

45
were virtually two separate cities-those of the white and colored residents respectively.88 The

former were concentrated in an area measuring about 220 acres known as Christian Kolkata.
To the north of this enclave and extending up to the Mahratta Ditch was the so called “Native
Town” with its Indian residents.

According to Roy (1982) 87 the Portuguese and Armenian agents of such prominent

Bengali merchants as the Setts and Basaks were settled in Murgi-hata and Chinabazar. The
Armenian Church is located in this area. By 1770, the southern area of the city Gobindapore
and Bhabanipur were occupied almost exclusively by Bengalis. When a large section of
Gobindapore was taken over by the Company for the construction of a new fort, many of its
Bengali residents had to move out to new areas made available to then in exchange for their
original holdings. They then built up the neighbourhoods of Taltola, Shovabazar etc.

After the death of Charnock the settlement started by him continued to progress and
develop. A local rebellion was made the excuses for this construction of a fort, the need for
which had been felt for many years, to safeguard the commercial and industrial interest of the
Company. The old fort occupied the site now covered by the East Indian Railway House in
Fairlie Place on the north, the General Post Office and Koilaghat Street on the south, the river
which then flowed where the Strand(.Road is formed the western, and Dalhousie Square as
eastern boundary. * '

With the passage of time many Governor Generals like Lord Clive, Warren Hastings,
Lord Wellesley, Lord Dalhousie etc. came over to Kolkata and ruled for 200 years and the
present Kolkata developed. It was during the period that the marshes surrounding the city
were drained and the government area was laid out along the banks of the Hooghly River.
Richard Wellesley, the Governor General between 1797 - 1805, was largely responsible for
the growth of the city and its public architecture which led to the description of Kolkata as
'The City of Palaces". The city was a centre of the British East India Company's opium trade
during the 18th and 19th century; locally produced opium was sold at auction in Kolkata, to be

shipped to China.

The city underwent rapid industrial growth from 1850s, especially in the textile and
juts sectors; this caused a massive investment in infrastructure projects like rail roads and
post & telegraph by British Government The coalescence of British and Indian culture
resulted in the emergence of a new Babu class of urban Indians—, whose members were

“ . Hardgrave, Jr and Robert, L, "A Portrait of Black Town: Balthazard Sotvyns In Calcutta, 1791-1804", in
Pratapadltya Pal: Changing Visions, Lasting Images: Calcutta Through 300 Years, Marg Publications, Mumbai, 1990,
pp.31-46.

S7 Dr. Roy, Biren, Marshes to Metropolis Calcutta; National Council of Education, New Era Publisher, Calcutta, 1982,
p;27

46
often bureaucrats, professionals, read newspapers, were Anglophiles, and usually belonged
to upper-caste Hindu society’,88.

The 1905 Partition of Bengal on communal grounds resulted in widespread public

agitation and the boycott of British goods (Swadeshi Movement). Kolkata port in 1945, was an
important military port during Second World War. These activities, along with the
administratively disadvantageous location of Kolkata in the eastern fringes of India, prompted
the British to move the capital to New Delhi in 1911. The city's port was bombed twice by the
Japanese during World War II.69 According to Sen (1973), 70 as food stocks were being

diverted to feed allied troops, millions starved to death during the Bengal Famine in 1943. In
1946, demands for the creation of a Muslim state led to large-scale communal violence
resulting in the death of over 2,000 people.71 According to Gandhi (1992), partition in India

also created intense violence and a shift in demographics - large numbers of Muslims left for
East Pakistan, while hundreds of thousands of Hindus fled into fhe city.72

Over the 1960s and 1970s, severe power shortages, strikes and a violent Marxist-
Maoist movement — the Naxalites Movement — damaged much of the city's infrastructure,
leading to an economic stagnation. In 1971, war between India and Pakistan led to the mass
influx of thousands of refugees into Kolkata resulting in a massive strain on its infrastructure.
In the mid-1980s, Mumbai overtook Kolkata as India's most populous city.

Metropolitan Kolkata which Includes not only the city of Kolkata, but the corporation of
Howrah and 32 more municipalities like Naihati, Bhatpara, Uttarpara, Barrackpore, Garden
reach, South Suburban (Behala), Serampore e.tc and covers an area of 1450 sq Kms.
Actual city i.e., the portion within the Kolkata Corporation is a mere 104 sq Kms. The
Metropolitan area of Kolkata with the surrounding municipalities had a population of 9.5
mfllion by the end of 1982.

Kolkata has been a strong base of Indian communism as West Bengal has been
ruled by the CPI. (M) dominated Left Front for three decades now — the world's longest-
running democratically-elected Communist Government.73 The city's economic recovery

gathered momentum after economic reforms in India introduced by the Central Government in

. Jack, l.,77je Autobiography of an Unknown Indain: Nirad c. Choudhtiri, New York, USA, 2001, pp. v-xi.

". Randhawa, K, The bombing of Calcutta by the Japanese, BBC, Retrieved on 2006-04-26.

™ .Sen, A., Poverty and Famines, Oxford University Press, USA, 1973.

71. Suhrawardy H; "Direct Action Day", In Talukdar, MHR. (ed.): Memoirs of Huseyn Shaheed Suhmwardy, University
Press of Bangladesh, Bangladesh, 1987, pp. 55-56.

71 .Gandhi, R., Patel: A Ufa, Navajivan, 1992, p. 497.

71 .Roy, A & Alsayyad., Urban Informality: Transnational Perspectives from the Middle East, Latin America and South
Asia, Lexington Books, 2004.

47
the mid-1990s. Since 2000, Information Technology (IT) services revitalised the city’s
stagnant economy. The city is also experiencing growth in the manufacturing sector recently.

Kolkata Today:

Location:

Kolkata is situated in eastern India at22°30'N and 88°30’E in the Ganges Delta at an
elevation ranging between 1.5 to 9 metres.74 It is 120 Km (80 miles) from the Bay of Bengal

and stands on the Eastern Bank of the river Hooghly. Total area of Kolkata is 5341 sq Km. It
is very a flat terrain which spreads linearly along the banks of the River Hooghly in a north-
south direction. Much of the city was originally a vast wetland, reclaimed over the decade
accommodating the city’s burgeoning population. The Sundarbans National Park separates
the city from the Bay of Bengal. Kolkata has a local time of its own which is 24 minutes in
advance of the standard time.

Soil & Geology:

It Is admitted that in remote ages the whole of Lower Bengal was a hilly area which by
recession due to earthquakes became a tidal swamp. This area was referred to by the early
f 7<r

Hindu writers as “Samatata” which literally means level of the sea. The area has since
gradually risen by a process of alluvial deposits forming a comparative high land for human
habitation. Digging operation in connection with the foundation of buildings and excavations of
tanks have not only shown the characteristics of the soil described above , but stumps of
Sundari trees have been found standing upright embedded at short intervals at Sundarbans.
These prove that the land was in the same condition in recent past as the Sundarbans are at
present and that subsidence of land must have taken place as the result of earthquakes.

Like most of the Indo-Gangetic plains, the predominant soil type is alluvial.
Quaternary sediments of clay, sijt, various grades of sand and gravel underlie the city. These
sediments are sandwitched between the two day beds, the lower one at depths between 250
and 650m and the upper one ranging between 10 and 40 m in thickness.78

74. NASA Image 34.

75. Suhrawardy, H, Calcutta and Environs; All Illustrated Guide to Places of Interest and to Excursions In and around
Calcutta, E.E.Rallway, Bengal, 1921, p, 14.

78 .Bunting, S., Kundu, N., and Mukherjee.M., Situation Analysis. Production Systems and Natural Resources Use in
PU Kofcata, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling; Stirling, UK, retrieved on 2006-04-26.

48
 According to Bureau of Indian Standards, the town falls under seismic zone -III, in a
scale of 1 to V (in order of increasing proneness to earthquakes). While the wind and cyclone
zoning is "very high damage risk", according to the UNDP report.77

Climate:

It has got an essentially tropical climate. Kolkata has three seasons. From November
to the end of February is the cold season. The hot months are from March till the third week of
June, when the rain breaks. The wet season continues till September or the beginning of
autumn. The coldest month of the year is December and May is the hottest month. The
annual mean temperature is 26.8 C(80 F); monthly mean temperature ranges froml 9 Cto
30 C (67 F to 86 F), the maximum being 38.6 C and minimum 7.8 G78 The annual
mean temperature is 26.8°C. ^.Often during early summer, dusty squalls followed by spell of
thunderstorm and heavy rains lash the city, bringing relief from the humid heat These
thunderstorms are convective in nature, and are locally known as Kal balsakhi (Norwesters).80
Rains brought by the Bay of Bengal Branch of South-West monsoon lash the city between
June and September and supplies the city with most of its annual rainfall of 1582 mm. The
highest rainfall occurs during them monsoon in August (306 mm).81 The city receives 2528
hours of sunshine per annum, with the maximum sunlight occurring in March.82
^•
i
1

Pollution is a major concern in Kolkata, and the Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM)
level is high when compared to other major cities of India 83, leading to regular smog and
haze. Severe air pollution in the city has caused rise in pollution-related respiratory aliments
such as lung cancer.84

77 .Hazard Profiles of Indian district, National Capacity Building Project in Disaster Management; UNDP, achieved
from the original on 19* may 2006, retrieved on 2006-06-23.

78. http://mur8hidabad.gov.in/iocation.htm

70. Weatherbase entry for Kolkata. Canty and Associates LLC, retrieved on 2006-04r26.

00 .http-y/amsglossary.allenpress.com

81. Khichar, M.L; Ram Ntwas (July 14 2003). Know your monsoon, Agriculture Tribune, The Tribune,
TheTribunefrust, retrieved on 2007-06-09.

82. Calcutta; Not the The City of Joy1, Gala: Environmental information System, retrieved on 2006-04-26.

88 . Central Pollution Control Board: Air quality in major cities on 16-17 March 2006, Ministry of Environment &
Forests, Govt of India, retrieved on 2006-04-26.

M. Bhaumi, Subtr, ‘Oxygen Suplies for India Police’, South Asia, BBC,17ft May 2007, retrieved on 2007-06-23.

49
Sewerage & sanitation:

From the earliest time the insanitary condition of the town attracted the notice of the
authorities. The first effort at efficient drainage was laid by the celebrated Lord Wellesley. The
main branch sewers drained the area of the city bounded by Circular Road and the river
Hooghly.

By gradual development and expenditure of another 68 lakh of rupees the town was
supplied with a complete system of covered drains and sewers and Kolkata has now efficient
water borne systems for the disposal of sewerage.

In olden times Kolkata depended for its water supply on the river and on big tanks
called Dighis of which the most famous was the Lai Dighi in Dalhousie Square. Much of the
inhabitants of Kolkata suffered in its earlier days due to defective water supply & bad
drainage. Lord Dalhousie was quick to recognise that one of the chief needs of Kolkata was
pure water. He also considered the introduction of a proper system of drainage and
sewerage. About the year 1820 a system of open raised cut vents from which people could
obtain water and which also served for feeding the larger tanks in the town was introduced.
The first attempt to supply filtered water to town commenced in 1867 and took 3 years to
complete. A supply was 6 million gallons of filtered water per day at 15 gallons per head was
estimated and the project cost was 67 lakhs of rupees.

In order to meet the demand for the purpose of watering the road and for flushing
sewers, a supply of unfiltered water was also introduced and the supply was of 20 million
gallons per day. There are two complete distinct systems of water pipes for filtered and
unfiltered water laid through the town.

According to Suhrawardy (1921), this confusion of palaces and hovels and of

cleanliness and dirtiness are as most appropriate description of Kolkata both ancient and
modem.

Area & demography:

The area of modern Kolkata with suburbs is 187.33 Sq. Km. Residents of Kolkata are
called Kolkatans. As 2001, Kolkata city had a population of 4580,544, while the urban
agglomeration had a population of 13,216,546. The sex ratio is 828 females per 1000 males86

85 .Census of India 2001: Provisional Population Totals', West Bengal Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal
(2003), Table-4: Population, Decadal Growth Rate, Density and General Sex Ratio by Residence and Sex, West
Bengal/District/Sub district 1991 and 2001.

50
exceed the all-India average of 64,8%.86 Kolkata municipal corporation area has registered a
growth rate of 4 1%, which is the lowest among the million - plus cities in India,87

Bengalis comprise the majority of Kolkata’s population, with Sikhs, Madrasis, Biharis,
Malayans and Nepalis communities forming a large portion of the minorities. Some of
Kolkata’s notable communities include Chinese, Tamils, Marwaris, Gujratis, Anglo-Indians,
Armenians, Tibetans, Maharashtrians and Parsis, Major languages and dialects spoken in
Kolkata are Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, English, Maithili, and Bhojpuri.

According to the 2001 Census, 77,68% of the population in Kolkata are Hindus,
20 27% are Muslims, 0.88% are Christians and 0.75% are Jains. Other minorities such as
Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews and Zoroastrians constitute the rest of the city's population.88 1.5
million people, who constitute about a third of the city's population live in 2011 registered and
3,500 unregistered (occupied by squatter) slums,89

Kolkata reported 67.6% of total special and local law (SLL) crimes registered in 35
Indian mega cities.90 Kolkata police district registered 10,757 IPC cases in 2004, which was
the 10th highest in the country.91 The crime rate in the city was 81.4 per 1000 against the
national rate of 168.8 in 2004.92 Kolkata's Sonaghachi area, with more than 10,000 sex
workers,93 is one of the India's largest red- light areas.

The main tourists attraction of Kolkata are Victoria Memorial, Maidan, Writers’
Building .Fort Williams, Shaid Minar, Birla Planetarium, Rabindra Sadan .Jorashanko
Thakurbari, Asiatic Society,Indian Museum, Marble Palace .National Library, Vidyasagar Setu
etc. Kolkata does not let down even religious people. There are Kalighat temple, Belur Math,

“6. West Bengal (2003); Directorate of Census Operations; Table-11: Literacy Rate with Decadal Percentage Point
increase by Residence and Sex, West Bengal /District 1951- 2001.

87. India at a Glance, Number of Literates & Literacy Rate, Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India.

88 Census of India 2001(Provisional),Highlights: Cities with more than One Million Population, Office of the Registrar
General, India.

89 .Census GiS Household, Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, retrieved on2006-04-
26.

90. Kundu, N; Understanding slums: Case Studies for the Global Report on Human Settlements 2003, The Case of
Kolkata, Development Planning Unit, University College, London, retrieved on 2006-04-26.

91. Crime in India-2004; “General Crime Statistics Snapshots 2004"; National Crime Records Bureau (2004), Ministry
of Home Affairs, 1.

92. Crime in India-2004, “Executive Summary” National Crime Records Bureau (2004), Ministry of Home Affairs, p. 34.

93. Crime in India-2004, “Violent Crimes' National Crime Records Bureau (2004), Ministry of Home Affairs, p. 158.

51
Dakhshineser Kali Temple, Birla Mandir, Armenian Church, ST, Paul’s Catherdral, Nakhoda
94
Mosque etc.

Urban Structure:

Kolkata city, under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has an
area of 185 km2. The Kolkata urban agglomeration however, has continuously expanded and
in 2006, it (Kolkata Municipal Area) spreads over 1750 km2 and comprises 157 postal areas 95
The urban agglomeration is formerly administrated by several local governments including 38
local municipalities. It comprises 72 cities and 527 towns and villages.96 The suburban areas
of Kolkata Metropolitan District incorporates parts of the districts of North 24 Parganas, South
24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia.

The east-to-west dimension of the proper city is narrow, stretching from the Hooghly
River in the west to roughly the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in the east, a span of barely 5-
6 km.97 The north-south expansion is roughly divided into north, central and south Kolkata.
North Kolkata is the oldest part of the city, with 19th century architecture and narrow
alleyways. The ambience in this area is reminiscent of the old Kolkata. South Kolkata grew
mostly after independence and consists of elite localities. The Salt Lake City (Bidhan Nagar)
area to the northeast of the city is a planned area near Kolkata. Rajarhat, also called New
Town, is a planned township being developed on the north-eastern fringes of the city. Central
Kokata houses represent the Central Business District found around the B. B. D. Bagh area.
The Maidan is a large open field in the heart of the city where several sporting events and
public meetings are held. Several companies have set up their offices around the area south
of Park Street which has become a secondary Central Business District.

The city also has an apolitical titular post, that of the Sheriff of Kolkata98 The Sheriff
presides over various city-related functions and conferences. Another ancilliary civic body is
the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) responsible for the statutory
planning and development of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA).99 The KMA includes a
large suburban hinterland around the urban centers of Kolkata. As the capital of the state and
the seat of the Government of West Bengal, Kolkata houses the West Bengal Legislative

94. http://www.mapsofindia.com

85. Kolkata Postal Codes. Bloom9.com, retrieved on 2007-08-29.

96.007 Kolkata (India) (PDF Format), World Association of the Major Metropolises, retrieved on 2007-08-31

97 deduced from the satellite map of the city, from NASA 34

98 . About Kolkata Metro politan Development Authority, Kolkata Metro politan Development Authority, retrieved on
2007-09-01.

99. Service of Kolkata Police, Kolkata Police, retrieved on 2007-09-01.

52
Assembly, the Secretariat (Writers' Building) and the Kolkata High Court Kolkata also has
lower courts, the Small Causes Court for civil matters and the Sessions Court for criminal
N

cases. The Kolkata Police, headed by the Police Commissioner, comes under the West
Bengal Home Ministry. The city is administratively divided into five police-zones subdivided
into 48 local police stations.100 The city elects 3 representatives to the Lok Sabha (India's
lower house) and 21 representatives to the state Legislative Assembly.101

Utility services and management:

The KMC supplies potable water to the city, sourced from the River Hooghly. The
water is purified and treated at Palta water pumping station located in North 24 Parganas.
Kolkata’s daily garbage of 2500 tonnes is transported to the dumping grounds in Dhapa to the
east of the town. Agriculture on this dumping ground is encouraged for natural recycling of
garbage and sewer water.102 Parts of the city still lack sewerage facilities leading to insanitary
methods of waste disposal. Electricity is supplied by the privately operated Kolkata Electric
Supply Corporation (CESC) to the city region and by the West Bengal State Electricity Board
in the suburbs. The city has 20 fire stations (under West Bengal Fire Service) that attend to
an average of 7,500 fire and rescue calls per year.103 Four Bengali language newspapers and
four regional and national English ney/spapers are widely circulated.
i
Transport:

Public transport is provided by the Kolkata Suburban Railway and the Kolkata Metro
as well as by Trams and Buses. The suburban network is extensive and extends into the
distent suburbs. The Kolkata Metro, run by the Indian Railways, is the oldest underground
system in India.104 It runs parallel to the Hooghly and spans the north-south length of the city
covering a distance of 22.3 km.105 Buses are the preferred mode of transport and are run by
both Government agencies and private operators. Kolkata is India's only remaining city to
have a tram network, operated by Kolkata Tramway Company.100

100. Service of Kolkata Police, Kolkata Police, retrieved on 2007-09-01

1D1. West Bengal Assembly Elections 2006, Indian Elections, retrieved on 2006-09-05.

102. Sound Practices Composting, United Nations Enviroment Programme, retrieved on 2006-04-26.

103 . Dheri, S.K.., Mlsra, G.C., Fire: Blazing Questions,India disasters. Org. Archived from the orginal on [24“I
December 2004], retrieved on 2006-04-26.

104. About Kolkata Metro, retrtved on 2007-09-01

. en.wikipedia.org

108. Intra-city train travel, reaching India, Times Internet United, retrieved on 2007.08.31

53
 Hired forms of mechanised transport include metered taxis, while auto rickshaws ply
in specific routes. In some areas of the city, cycle rickshaws and hand-pulled rickshaws are
also patronised by the public for short distances. Private owned vehicles are less in number
and usage compared to other major cities due to the abundance in both variety and number
of public vehicles.107 However, the city witnessed a steady increase in the number of
registered vehicles; 2002 data showed an increase of 44% over a period of seven years.108
The road space (matched with population density) in the city is only 6%, compared to 23% in
Delhi and 17% in Mumbai, creating major traffic problems.109 Kolkata Metro Railway and a
number of new roads and flyovers have decongested the traffic to some extent

Kolkata has two major long distance railway terminuses at Howrah Station and
Sealdah. A third station named Kolkata started in early 2006.110 The city is the headquarters
of two divisions of the Indian Railways Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway.111 The
city's sole airport, the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at Dum Dum to the
north of the city, operates both domestic and international flights. Kolkata is also a major river
port in eastern India. The Kolkata Port Trust manages both the Kolkata docks and the Haldia
docks.112 There are passenger services to Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and
cargo ship service to various ports in India and abroad, operated by the Shipping Corporation
of India. Also there are ferry service&connecting Kolkata with its twin city of Howrah.
/
i

Economy:

Kolkata is home to many industrial units, of large Indian corporations, whose product
range is varied and includes - engineering products, electronics, electrical equipments,
cables, steel, leather, textiles, jewellery, automobiles, railway coach wagons, tea, paper,
pharmaceuticals, chemicals, tobacco, food products, jute products etc. Most of the slum
dwellers participate in the informal economy 113 and work in laundering, housecleaning,
sweeping, plastic salvaging, plumbing, furniture making, electrical wiring, TV repair, masonry,
messaging, hawking, rickshaw pulling, hair design, folk medicine, music and art, tailoring,
leather work, shoe making, and food selling. Until recently, flexible production had always
been the norm in Kolkata, and the Informal sector has comprised more than forty percent of

m. Traffic Accident Characteristics of Kolkata, UNESCAP, retrieved on 2006-07-05.

108. Traffic Accident Characteristics of Kolkata, UNESCAP, retrieved on 2006-07-05.

109. Call to ensure traffic discipline In Kolkata", The Hindu Business Line, 2004-09-05, retrieved on 2006-04-26.

"°. blew station flag-off- Amenities added",The Telegraph, 2006-02-20, retrieved on 2007-09-02.

. Geography: Railway Zones, 1RFCA. Org., Indian Railways Fan Club, retrieved on 2007-08-31.

m. Salient Physical Features Kolkata Port Trust, Kolkata Port Trust India, retrieved on 2007-06-09.

Thomas, FC,Calcutta Poor. Elegies on a City above Pretense, M.E. Sharpe, Thomas, 1997, pp. 113-114.

54
the labour force. Kolkata witnessed an economic decline from the sixties till the late nineties.
The partition, along with the massive influx of refugees, the predominance of the trade-
unions, lack of capital, the Bangladesh war, the Naxalite liberation movement, frequent
strikes, the collapse of the jute industry, and the breakdown of infrastructure and
management served to nearly destroy the economy of Kolkata. In the 1980s the city's
fortunes have improved, coinciding with the liberalisation of the Indian economy.

Several industrial estates like Taratolla, Kalyani, Uluberia, Dankuni, Kasba, and
Howrah spread throughout the urban agglomeration. A huge leather complex has come up at
Bantolla. An export processing zone has been set up in Falta. Specialised setups like the
country's first Toy Park, and a Gem and Jewellery Park have also been established. The state
of West Bengal has promoted foreign direct investment, which has mostly come in the
software and electronics field. Kolkata is also becoming a major hub for the IT (Information
Technology) industry. With construction underway of New Town at Rajarhat and extension of
Salt Lake's Sector-V, Kolkata is rapidly turning into a preferred IT/BPO destination.

Culture:

Another name of Kolkata is “City of Joy". Kolkata has long been known for its literary,
artistic and revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, Kolkata was the birthplace of
modem Indian literary and artistic thought.114 A characteristic feature of Kolkata is the para or
neighbourhoods having a strong sense of community. The city has a tradition of dramas in the
form of jatra (a kind of folk-theatre), professional theatres and Group Theatres. Kolkata is
known for its Bengali cinema industry and for its art films. The city is also noted for its
appreciation of Indian classical music, the rich literary tradition, the Bengal school of Art etc.

Kolkata has many buildings adorned with Gothic, Baroque,Roman, Oriental and
Indo-lslamic (including Mughal) motifs. The "City of Palaces", as Kolkata is often called, is
dotted with colonial buildings. Some of the major buildings of this period are well maintained
and several buildings have been declared "heritage structures", while others are in various
stages of decay.

Durga Puja is the most notable of the religious and social festival in Kolkata.115 Other
notable festivals include Diwali, Eid, Holi, Christmas, Poila Boishakh (New Year), Saraswati
Puja, Ratha Yatra and Poush Parbon (harvest festival). Some of the cultural festivals are
Kolkata Book Fair, Dover Lane music festival, Kolkata Film Festival and National Theatre
Festival.

"L Sinha, P,."Kolkata and the Currents of History”, in Chaudhuri S. (ed.): Kolkata — The Living City. Volume 1: The
Past, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1990.

115. Durga Puja, Festivals of Bengal. West Bengal Tourism, Government of West Bengal, retrieved on 2006-10-28.

55
Diseases:

Malaria, Dysentery and Diarrhoea are most the prevalent diseases of Kolkata. There
are 72 hospitals, 26 medical colleges and 5 nursing colleges in Kolkata.116

Education:

Kolkata's schools are either run by the State Government or by private (many of
which are religious) organisations. Schools mainly use English or Bengali as the medium of
instruction, though Hindi and Urdu are also used. Kolkata has nine universities; 117numerous
colleges are affiliated to these nine or to other universities located outside of Kolkata.118 The
University of Kolkata (founded in 1857) has more than 200 affiliated colleges.119

Sports:

Football is the most popular sport in the city and the city is one of the major centres of
football activity in India.120 Kolkata is home to top national clubs such as Mohan Bagan,
Mohammedan Sporting Club and East Bengal. Like the rest of India, cricket is popular and is
played throughout the city in its grounds and streets. Kolkata is known for its large stadiums
and clubs e.g. Eden Gardens, Netaji Indoor Stadium.
1

Changing land use pattern due to urbanisation In Kolkata:

Construction industry is dynamic in nature as it is continuously changing land

surfaces with the pace of urbanisation and with the development of transport (over bridge),
railways, building complex, shopping malls and multiplexes. Urbanisation is arguably the most
dramatic form of highly irreversible land transformation. Urbanisation is a worldwide
phenomenon; it is exceptionally dynamic in India, where unprecedented urban growth rates
have occurred over the last 30 years. The process of urbanisation with a changing land use
pattern is most evident in Kolkata. This would lead to conversion of non-urban land into urban
land with consequent alteration of drainage systems at micro-level.

The main concern of my study is to identify the urban built-up areas to measure the
changes of the urban extension through construction over the time interval. Urbanisation of

118. '3alcuttaweb.com

l, 7. Education In Kolkata, lhdiaedu.com, retrieved on 2007-08-30.

118. List of affiliated Colleges, netGurulndla.com, retrieved on 2006-10-26.

,1e. Mitra, P. 'Waning Interest", Careergraph, The Telegraph, August 31,2005, retrieved on 2006-10-28

m. Prabhakaran, Shaji (January 18, 2003),Football In India - A Fact File. LongUveSoccer.com, retrieved on 2006-
10-26.

56
 land is apt to transform agricultural land ana wetland in spite of the fact that there is a general
understanding that the agricultural land as well as the wetland and large water bodies should
be preserved as such and no change of use of such land should be permitted.121

The process of urbanisation has shown an increasing trend during post

independence period between 1961 (24.45%) to 1991 (27.39%).122 The pressure on CMA
would continue to increase. It is obvious that the proposed development would call for
conversion of land for urban functions. The industries would attract employment. Hence
housing would be needed with all infrastructural demand and output of solid waste, domestic
waste water and impact on pollution.

Table 2.1: Land use pattern of Kolkata 1981 to 2015(as percentage of total land
Land use

Years Residential Major Commercial Organised open T ransportation Vacan Tota

industrial and space and (including
institutional recreational cultivable) land , I
area forest and waste
land, water body
and swamp
2015 450 6.0 6.0 2.0 8.0 33.0 100
1981 32.01 4.73 3.62 0.8 6.36 52.48 100
Source CMDA, 1990

Map No 2.1: Growth of Kolkata Map No 2.2: Recent Kolkata

Source: Atlas of Kolkata, Dr. P.Nag, National Atlas & Source: Ghtas of Greater Kolkata,KMC, Kolkata,
Thematic Mapping Organisation, Kolkata, 2006, p. 15 2008,p.3
Not to scale
Note : Latitude & Longitude of Kolkata: 22°30’N and 88°30'E

121. http://enviswb.gov.in
122. http://www.wbgov.com

57
 Projecting future land use, CMDA (1990) presented the following profile for Kolkata
Standard Urban Area (CMSUA), a term adopted in census of India. Residential area will
increase about 13% between 2015 and 1981 whereas major industrial land will increase 1.27
%. In fact, the highest percentage of vacant land( about 19.48%) will drastically decrease
between 2015 and 1981. By 1990, open vacant land in CMSUA had already decreased from
52% to 43%. The CMDA document (1990) identified a total of 9 future development zones, of
which 4 are located on the northern part of CMSUA and 5 on the west However, "The Land
Use and Development Control Plan for Eastern Fringe of Calcutta” prepared by CMDA has
permitted the local designated authority to exercise discretionary powers to allow urban
development in the fringe areas of the East Calcutta Wetland. Many shopping malls,
mu.tiplexes, housing complexes, private hospitals have already been set up over the east
Calcutta wetland. Recent development proposal for setting up of a satellite township at
Rajarhat (by Housing Board), Central leather complex at Karaidanga and the Sonarpur
t

Satellite Township, all within the designated wetland of East Calcutta call for critical appraisal
and year round impact assessment study. These are some of the examples of contingent
responses made to a very complex problem of land conversion for urbanisation through
construction and consequent degradation of environment.

Construction Industry with speclafreference to Kolkata:

i
f

Building and construction industry is the second largest economic activity in India,
next only to agriculture. The construction industry is one of the most fundamental industrial
activities. It is a major national industry regarding the number of workers employed and the
value of goods produced. Its crucial importance lies in the fact that it is a most important
avenue for private and public investments. In fact, construction is a booming industry in India
and it has a great impact on our country's economy as well as creating a lot of job
opportunities. Capital invested and manpower employed in this industry is much larger than
any other industry. The importance of this industry can be judged from the fact that the capital
outlay on construction in the successive Five-Year Plans ranged from 36 to 50 percent123

According to the 1961 Census of India, over 20 lakh workers were then employed in the major
secdons of construction and maintainance, out of which over 2.4 lakh were women. In fact, an
estimated number of 1.46 crore persons were employed in the construction industry in 1995-
96. The average annual increase in employment in the construction industry was 7.3% during
1981-90 and 10.16 % during 1999-2005 respectively. (Source: Labour Year book 2002.).The
number of unskilled workers is higher than skilled workers in India.

During 2004-05 the proportion of skilled workers is 44.92% and the unskilled workers
is 55.08%. It is estimated that the total construction workers in Kolkata are about 1 lakh.
Among them 80 % construction workers are considered as unskilled workers and 20% are
high or semi-skilled workers. According to 1991 Census of India 59,132 and 25,662 male and

1Z3. Gandhi, S.B. and Kutty, "Contribution of Construction Management", C.M.S, Vol-1, April 1986, pp.37& 43.

58
female construction workers are found respectively all over India. But in Kolkata male and
female construction workers are 47653 and 1376 respectively according to 1991 Census.124

Fig 2.1: Construction industry at a glance

Source: Debanjan Chakrabarti: 2005:13.

124. Census of India 1991, Series -26, West Bengal, Part Ill-B, Economic Tables, Vol-1.

59
Subsidiary Industries of construction:

With an annual turnover of Rs.700 billion construction industry is one of the most
dynamic sectors. It engages 2,00000 contractors, who in turn provide employment to 15
million workers. It provides tangible support to the building materials industry through possible
linkages. It is the launching pad for all sectoral activities: agriculture, industry, energy,
transportation, health and education. In fact, construction distinguishes itself as the most
powerful instrument of social and economic change. Transport sector showed tremendous
growth due to heavy investment in construction of transport facilities. On the other hand, the
Planning Commission has established the positive nexus between irrigation and higher
agricultural productivity since, irrigation facility is a function of construction and an
assessment of the contribution of irrigation to agriculture is estimated based on the expansion
in the irrigation facilities. Similarly the expansion of health services is due, to a large measure,
to the growth in the construction facilities like hospitals, dispensaries and primary health
Centres.

It is needed to mention that when construction activities in a country goes in a big

way then many other related industries also increase their activities by supplying the different
raw materials required for. More construction means more production of raw materials like
steel, cement, glass, wood, paints; pipes, electrical goods, bricks and tiles, sanitary fittings,
heavy vehicles, plant and machineries for big project construction work. The most perceptible
linkage effect of growing construction activity is reflected in the phenomenal growth of cement
industry. Construction brings boom in a country's economy and fall in construction work leads
to slam in economy.

The raw materials In fact constitute 60% to 70% of the cost of construction in any
project The investment in the building materials industry is believed to be around Rs.22, 000
crores. In fact construction industry is the stimulus of the nation’s economy.

Construction & its role in the development of Kolkata:

Kolkata was the capital of British India till 1912 and still has a Victorian imprint on its
structures and streets. A walk along the streets will take one on a journey through time. The
stem old buildings in the midst of new and more colourful ones, tell about the generations
gone by and more to come.

The early history of construction industry in Kolkata is largely based on construction

of ports, harbours, roads, railways, tramlines, bridges etc.

It was a town, where transport was mainly by palanquins carried on the shoulder by
men, phaetons pulled by horses etc. In 1867, the Kolkata Corporation with financial
assistance from the Government of Bengal developed mass transport The first tramcar rolled

60
out in 1873 on the streets of Kolkata with horse down coaches running on steel rails between
Sealdah and Armenian Ghat via Bowbazarand Dalhousie Square.

After the end of colonial rule, the need for a better infrastructure was felt and
development was initiated for the construction of new roads and bridges. Howrah Bridge over
the Ganges links Kolkata with Howrah since 1943. The Second Hooghly Bridge or Vidyasagar
Setu is a cable-stayed bridge, with a main span of a little over 457 metres, and a deck 35
metres wide. Construction started in 1978 and the bridge was finally inagurated on the 10th of
October, 1992. Kolkata’s Metro rail construction is one of the examples of construction work
to be mentioned.

Buildings with architectural significance and heritage values are considered for their
preservation and conservation. These buildings play an important role in the history of the city
of Kolkata in particular and maintained properly. Under the provisions of Section 2 (42A) of
the K.M.C. Act 1980 the definition of heritage buildings is "heritage building means any
building of one or more premises, or any part thereof, which requires preservation and
conservation for historical, architectural, environmental or ecological purpose and includes
such portions of the land adjoining such building or any part thereof as may be required for
fencing or covering or otherwise preserving such building and also includes the areas and
buildings requiring preservation arid conservation for the purpose as aforesaid under sub­
clause (ii) of clause (a) of subsection (4) of the section 31 of the West Bengal Town and
Country (Planning and Development) Act, 1979 (West Bengal. Act XIII of 1979)".126

125. http://www.kolkatamyclty. com

61
List of some major heritage buildings, ghats, docks, markets, educational institutions.
libraries, temples, churches, mosques etc

Name of buildings/ heritage buildings Yearof

construction
Corporation building 1727
Fort William 1773
Asiatic society 1784
Raj Bhavan 1799
Town Hall 1813
Marble palace 1830
High Court 1872
Indian Museum 1875
Small Cause Court 1882
Writers’ Building 1921
Victoria memorial 1921
Well known ghats
Kaashi Mitter Ghat 1774
Chandpal Ghat 1774
Kalighat 1825
Nimtolla Ghat 1828
Prinsep's Ghat 1875
Docks
Kldderpore dock .1795
Market
New Market 1874
Bridge
The first Hooghly Bridge 1874
The second Hooghly Bridge 1978
Station
Howrah station 1854
s Monuments
> Shahid Mlnars 1828 1828
The Gwalior monument: 1847
Holwell monument: 1902
Communication buildings
General Post office 1868
The Central Telegraph office 1873
Library
National Library 1836
Metcalfe hall and Imperial library 1844,1902
Educational Institutions
Scottish Church College 1820
The Bengal Engineering College 1820
Medical College 1852
The Presidency College 1855
Calcutta University 1857
St Xavier's College 1860
The Indian Association for the Cultivation of science 1869
Temples
Kali temple 1809
Jain temple 1867
The Parsee Fire temple 1912
Churches
Old Mission Church 1772
St John’ Church 1788
The Church of our Lady of Happy Voyage 1834
SL Paul's Church 1839
SL Stephen's Church 1846
SL Andrew's Church 1857
SL James Church 1862 1862
The church of SL Teresa 1893
Mosques
Ttpu Suttan's Mosque, 1842

Source: Suhrawardy, H., Calcutta and Environ, All Illustrated Guide to Places of interest and to Excursions in and
around Calcutta, Bengal, E.E.Railway, 1921.

62