Flowing Through Time: How Kolkata’s Waterways Shaped Its Urban Evolution

Kolkata’s urban rivers and waterways, Rivers Bhagirathi-Hooghly and Adi Ganga, Tolly’s Nullah, Bidyadhari, and the Circular Canal have shaped the city’s growth as cultural corridors, ecological buffers, and drainage spines. This presentation examines how these water networks impacted settlement patterns, the economy, mobility, and resilience, and why restoring them is crucia for Kolkata’s sustainable future.