Experts Urge Action to Conserve Kolkata's Historic Ganga Ghats

On October 30, 2025, experts, academics, and citizens in Kolkata raised concerns over the rapid urbanization, erosion, and pollution threatening the city's iconic Ganga ghats. At a seminar held at Jadavpur University, the speakers emphasized that these ghats are a living repository of India's cultural and spiritual heritage, and their preservation is crucial.

The Ganga ghats, stretching from Mayer Ghat in the north to Prinsep Ghat in the south, are a confluence of heritage architecture, trade, ferry crossings, festival immersions, religious ceremonies, and cremations, defining Kolkata's identity and the country's collective memory. However, the experts warned that untreated industrial waste and household pollution have severely degraded the water quality of the Ganga river.

While initiatives like the Ganga Action Plan and Namami Gange have helped improve the water quality over the years, the Coliform bacteria levels remain high, posing a challenge. Efforts are underway to develop a more comprehensive plan to restore the river and its ghats, which "speak history." The Kolkata Port Trust, the custodian of the Ganga ghats, has collaborated with various stakeholders to restore historic landmarks like the Kumartuli ghat, Mayer Ghat, and Surinam Ghat.

Enthusiasts running heritage walks along the Ganga ghats have also raised concerns about encroachment, lack of maintenance, and the need for mass awareness to conserve the heritage structures. As the restoration work continues, experts call for collaborations between conservation architects, archaeologists, researchers, and history experts to ensure the history of the ghats is not lost in the process of modernization.