Influence of the River Ganga on the Urban Process in Kolkata Metropolitan Area

Abstract

From the dawn of human civilization, rivers have been playing a significant role for the development of human settlement worldwide. The Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) is no exception to this. It is located on the bank of river Hugli, the distributory of river Ganga at its lower course in India. In the medieval and early modern period it was the most important riverine trade route in eastern India when market based economy was started to develop. In the later phase Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta) port and adjoining town was established. Afterwards, this port town expanded rapidly to become the metropolitan city of Kolkata, which was the national capital of British India till 1911and became the main center of economic, cultural and political activities in the country. Following the partition and independence of India, a phenomenal change in the population distribution took place as a result of huge refugee influx from erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. At that time river Hugli acted as a major barrier of migration flow between the eastern and western districts of KMA. Even today, effects of such immigration are reflected through population pressure differential on both the banks within KMA. Apart from that, the land use and morphology of this metropolis is also profoundly affected by the existence of river Hugli. The current study is an attempt to explore these all round influences of river Hugli on KMA.