Nature in Kolkata
Tightly-packed buildings one after the other, with very few roads in between and even fewer open spaces and water bodies is one way of describing Kolkata in 2021. The hot scorching sun throughout most of the working hours before sunset makes people stay indoors if they can afford to. The central business district is chock-a-block with people though, as are the various residential slums where a large section of the residents live. It takes exceptional circumstances to not hear the sound of motorised vehicles throughout the day. Amid this, where does one find nature or the aesthetically pleasant aspects of it?
Smoke covered stars from the skyline of the city several decades back. Cumulus clouds against a blue background, as in a John Constable painting, are visible sometimes after the rains have stopped, taking away the harshness of the sun. If one passes by the East Kolkata wetlands on such a morning or afternoon, the greenery and lack of buildings in the horizon may lull you into an idyllic mood. The small hillock of garbage resembles a natural hill from afar. The Maidan presents a welcome break but it was created by clearing away the trees to practice firing the cannons. The greenscape of the land has a few trees but it leaves much to be desired by way of nature. Rabindra Sarobar, another man-made landscape in south Kolkata has water, trees and birds. Central Park, in Salt Lake, has its own share of such elements as has Eco Park in New Town. Curated landscape of this sort has its own charms, especially if one is not spoilt for choices.
Another way of grasping nature is by acknowledging the relief that pre-monsoon storms and the monsoon brings after the scorching heat of the summer. The relief turns into misery for the homeless and those in living in fragile quarters, which, considering the significant slum population of the city is considerable. Those ensconced behind glass windows may look at the rain with a smile on their lips and a sense of calm on the skin of their bodies if they do not mind being indoors. With the heat and the dust settling down, the landscape takes on a mellow look. The leaves shine bright, the barks of the trees glow and the roads do not stare back at you. Even before the rains begin, the sky with its grey clouds presents a pretty picture. The grey clouds look like juicy fruits, about to burst open and shower sweet drops of mercy on the city beneath. They present the same sense of expectation and relief as the idea of a cool shower after a hot, sweaty, grimy day.
Birds, those warbling creatures of delight, are a disappearing species in the city. Whereas the crow and the pigeon reign supreme, and the myna and the small crane are still thankfully found aplenty, lots of other species are a rarity. The koel is more often heard than seen but its voice is reassuring enough to the human residents that this avian neighbour of theirs still exists. It is rare to sight a blue and orange kingfisher or a black-headed oriole but sighting them seems like a feat in itself, a moment of delight and of joy at the wonders of nature. Sparrows, those little bundles of energy, are no longer common.
Dogs, cats, cows, buffaloes, horses, squirrels, rats and mice are common sights. Dogs and cats are domesticated pets and we have a different kind of relationship to these animals. Squirrels, on the other hand, present the wildness and swiftness of nature that we still prize.
Trees in the city are not allowed to grow to their fullest extent. The tree in Ritwik Ghatak’s Meghe Dhaka Tara would not be found in Kolkata anymore. Horizontal branches are trimmed regularly to make the tree fit for a crowded city. Such trimming is rarely proportional. As a result, the trees grow lopsided and fall over when pushed by strong winds. Leafy trees abound. Fruit trees in people’s personal compounds are a rarity. Kerala, for instance, has recently brought out a rule urging people to plant mango or jackfruit trees in their houses. Kolkata is yet to entice people to bear such fruits. Vegetable gardens are also not particularly common owing to the lack of gardens in the compounds of most buildings. A city bursting with people barely manages to push together people inside its limits. Trees in such spaces are a luxury. It is not as if one will not see the odd guava, mango, papaya, coconut, banana or jackfruit tree or tomato or chilli plants in building compounds but such compounds are the exception rather than the norm.
