Natural Resources in Kolkata

Hooghly is the only river in Kolkata which is a tributary of the Ganges River. It splits from the Ganges near the city of Berhampore or Baharampur, and runs south through the Indian state of West Bengal past the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah and falls into the Bay of Bengal. Damodar and Rupnarayan are two sub-tributaries of the river Hooghly.

Hooghly is a lifeline for the people of Kolkata. The river is a source of drinking water for the people of the city. Fishing in the river provides a source of income to a section of people of the city of Kolkata. The local needs for fish products are thus fulfilled to a large extent. Due to the draining of industrial sewage into the river, it has now become a major concern for the government to control water pollution. The river also provides transportation facility for the city dwellers.

Cities are generally away from forests or wildlife sanctuaries. But Kolkata is an exception as it is not far from the dense forest covers of the Sundarban which is a world heritage site. The Sunder ban is a dwelling place for a variety of flora and fauna like the Royal Bengal Tigers and mangrove trees. Hence it is a place of tourist’s delight. It provides a source of income to the rural poor as well to the government for its importance in tourism.

It has a total land area of 4,143 kilometer squares and water area of 1,874 kilometer squares. The freshwater of the rivers originates from the Ganges and the saline water of the Bay of Bengal. The physiographic characteristics include innumerable drainage lines and associated lines in association with surface and levees, splays and tidal flats. It has an average elevation of 0.9 meter to 2.11 meter.