Kolkata has restored and reopened two water bodies in Kudghat, with the sites to be developed into public green spaces featuring walking paths, plantations and fish farming, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin. The ponds, located in Itkhola 1 and 2 in Ward 114 of Borough 11, have been named Shiv Sarovar and Shakti Sarovar.
The restoration programme was conducted jointly by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the West Bengal government. Suvendu Adhikari inaugurated the two water bodies at a public event attended by state minister Agnimitra Pal, industry minister Tapas Roy, Tollygunge MLA Papia Adhikari and Jadavpur MLA Sharvari Mukhopadhyay, the report said.
Adhikari said the restored ponds would be surrounded by a green belt. The planned facilities include tree plantation, dedicated walking routes for morning and evening walkers, and fish cultivation within the water bodies. The announcement places the ponds within a wider public-space framework rather than treating them only as restored water-retention areas.
The Kudghat intervention is significant for a densely built part of south Kolkata, where ponds and other open spaces form part of the city’s local drainage and ecological network. The report, however, does not provide the area, storage capacity, restoration cost, engineering details or a maintenance plan for either pond. It also does not specify when the walking paths, green belt and fish-farming facilities will be completed.
At the event, Adhikari alleged that 5,000 ponds had been filled within areas under the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority during the tenure of the previous government. He accused the Trinamool Congress government of allowing environmental destruction. The figure and the political allegations were reported as statements made at the event; the supplied report does not cite an official survey, government document or independent assessment supporting the number.
The restoration programme also comes against the backdrop of continuing political attention to municipal services and the role of cooperation between state agencies and urban local bodies. The report said the government conveyed that uninterrupted services would be provided through joint action by the state and municipalities if it received public support in the civic elections.
The event therefore combines two distinct elements: a specific intervention involving two restored ponds and a broader political argument about the protection of urban water bodies. For residents, the immediate outcome is the reopening of two local sites with promised public-access and ecological features. The longer-term value will depend on whether the restored water bodies remain free from encroachment, receive regular maintenance and retain their water-management function.
The supplied report does not provide details of the agencies responsible for routine upkeep, the legal status of the ponds, or any monitoring system to prevent future filling. The next implementation steps identified are the creation of the green belt, plantation work, walking infrastructure and fish cultivation around the two restored water bodies.
