The East Calcutta Wetlands, also known as the East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW) (22 0 27’ N 88 0 27’ E), are a complex of natural and human-made wetlands lying east of the city of Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal in India. These wetlands from a part of the extensive inter-distributory wetland regions formed by the Gangetic Delta. They play an integral part in India’s vegetation and serve as a storehouse of many important resources.
The wetlands cover 125 square kilometers and include salt marshes and salt meadows, as well as sewage farms and settling ponds.
Features of Wetland
EKW sustains the world's largest and perhaps oldest integrated resource recovery practice based on a combination of agriculture and aquaculture and provides livelihood support to a large, economically underprivileged and deprived population of around 20,000 families which depend upon the various wetland products, primarily fish and vegetables for their daily sustenance.
The wetland system currently produces over 15,000 MT of fish per annum from its 264 functioning aquaculture ponds, locally called ‘Bheries’. Additionally, nearly 150 MT of vegetables are produced daily by subsistence farmers. EKW serves as the backbone of food security of Kolkata City. It will not be incorrect to say that the vibrant bustling city of Kolkata would not have been what it is without the EKW.
The wetlands are used to treat Kolkata's sewage, and the nutrients contained in the waste water sustain fish farms and agriculture.
Here we see the mechanism behind the substantial production of fish which plays such an integral part of the metropolitan city of Kolkata.
The wetlands cover 125 square kilometers and include salt marshes and salt meadows, as well as sewage farms and settling ponds.
The map above shows the distribution of various types of vegetation across the wetland.
EKW sustains the world's largest and perhaps oldest integrated resource recovery practice based on a combination of agriculture and aquaculture and provides livelihood support to a large, economically underprivileged and deprived population of around 20,000 families which depend upon the various wetland products, primarily fish and vegetables for their daily sustenance.
The wetland system currently produces over 15,000 MT of fish per annum from its 264 functioning aquaculture ponds, locally called ‘Bheries’. Additionally, nearly 150 MT of vegetables are produced daily by subsistence farmers. EKW serves as the backbone of food security of Kolkata City. It will not be incorrect to say that the vibrant bustling city of Kolkata would not have been what it is without the EKW.
The wetlands are used to treat Kolkata's sewage, and the nutrients contained in the waste water sustain fish farms and agriculture.
EKW forms the basis of food security of Kolkata
Dhapa produces 150 MT vegetable daily
Other than food security, EKW maintain a positive balance in nature as many of it’s places (like DHAPA) serve as the hub of recycling plants in Kolkata.
Other than food security, EKW maintain a positive balance in nature as many of it’s places (like DHAPA) serve as the hub of recycling plants in Kolkata.
Co-recycling in Dhapa
Fishery effluent to paddy field
Never knew that wetlands in Kolkata have such critical significance.
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