Posted on June 29, 2026
Kolkata: The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) is seeking a fresh nod from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to dredge the 72-acre Rabindra Sarobar, which has not undergone proper desilting for at least two to three decades.
The move follows the recent visit of the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul, who directed KMDA officials to take steps for the restoration and conservation of the waterbody. The first-ever bathymetric survey of the lake, conducted in May last year, recommended “cutter suction dredging” at eight locations where sediment deposition was found to be the highest.
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The study, carried out by Jadavpur University’s School of Water Resource Engineering, identified specific sites for localised dredging using a cutter suction dredger, which employs a rotating cutter head to loosen sediment before it is sucked through a pipe for disposal. “Currently, the use of any machinery that causes pollution is prohibited in the lake’s water,” a KMDA official said.
Officials said dredging the entire lake would disturb its ecosystem, making localised dredging the preferred option. Most of the identified locations are on the Dhakuria side of the lake.
Bathymetric surveys map the depth and shape of the underwater terrain by transmitting ultrasonic rays into the water and measuring the time taken for the signals to return. The exercise forms part of a comprehensive assessment of Rabindra Sarobar’s water quality, undertaken by KMDA for the first time in several years.
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While sludge has been removed from the lake’s banks on several occasions, the central portion has rarely undergone desilting.
KMDA had approached the NGT in August last year seeking permission for dredging but received no response. Following the change of guard in the state, it is making a fresh request to the green tribunal.
Environmentalist Somendra Mohan Ghosh, who met the minister during her recent visit, has written to her advocating hydro-raking and micro-dredging. He said deploying a mini dredger with a targeted cut-and-suction process would be the most ecologically responsible method of restoring the waterbody.
