Adi Ganga
Encyclopedia
Adi Ganga also known as Gobindapur creek, Surman’s Nullah and Tolly’s Nullah
Adi Ganga
Adi Ganga , also known as Gobindapur creek, Surman’s Nullah and Tolly’s Nullah, was the main flow of the Hooghly River from the 15th to 17th century but has subsequently virtually dried up.-History:...

, was the main flow of the Hooghly River from the 15th to 17th century but has subsequently virtually dried up.

History

The earlier course of the lower Ganges
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...

 as it flowed through the Bhagirathi channel was somewhat different from what it is in the beginning of the 21st century. At Triveni, near Bandel
Bandel
Bandel , founded by Portuguese settlers, is a gram panchayat in Chinsurah-Mogra block in Chinsurah subdivision of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is under Chinsurah police station. A major junction station of Eastern Railway, it is 40 km from Howrah station...

, it branched into three streams. The Saraswati
Saraswati River (Bengal)
Saraswati River refers to a river, that was a distributary of the Bhagirathi and is now no more there but was active till around the 16th century AD. The course and condition of the Saraswati has played an important role in the development and decline of river port towns in Bengal...

 flowed in a south-westerly direction, past Saptagram
Saptagram
Saptagram was a major port, the chief city and sometimes capital of southern Bengal, in ancient and medieval times, the location presently being in the Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is about 4 km from Bandel, a major rail junction. By the early twentieth century, the...

. The Jamuna (not the same river as in north India or many streams of that name in eastern Bengal) flowed in a south-easterly direction. The Hooghly flowed in the middle. The Hooghly glided down to around the place where Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

 now stands and then flowed through the Adi Ganga, past Kalighat
Kalighat
Kalighat is a locality of Kolkata, India. One of the oldest neighborhoods in South Kolkata, Kalighat is also densely populated and vibrant -- with a rich history of cultural intermingling with the various foreign incursions into the area over time....

, Baruipur
Baruipur
Baruipur is a city and a municipality in South 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. Baruipur is 25 km from Sealdah Station.-Geography:Baruipur is located at . It has an average elevation of 9 metres ....

 and Magra to the sea.

In the 16th century, the main waters of the Bhagirathi, which earlier used to flow through the Saraswati, began to flow through the Hooghly. The upper Saraswati is a dead or dry river and the Hooghly has abandoned the Adi Ganga channel and adopted the lower course of the Saraswati to flow to the sea.

In his Manasamangal, Bipradas Pipilai
Bipradas Pipilai
Bipradas Pipilai , was a 15th century poet. He was the son of Mukunda Pipilai, the family hailed from Badurya-Batagram in 24 Parganas, now in the Indian state of West Bengal.-The Manasa Vijay:...

 has described the journey path of Chand Saudagor, the merchant, as going past Chitpur
Chitpur
Chitpur is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. Sometimes, the entire area along Chitpur Road is referred to as Chitpur, although the various localities have distinctive names....

, Betore, Kalighat, Churaghat, Baruipur, Chhatrabhog, Badrikunda, Hathiagarh, Choumukhi, Satamukhi and Sagarsangam. The description of Bipradas Piplai tallies to a large extent with Van den Brouck’s map of 1660.

Some quarters ascribe the virtual drying up of Adi Ganga to its being artificially linked to the lower channel of the Saraswati, whereby that became the main channel for ocean going ships and the Adi Ganga became derelict. This feat is ascribed by some to Nawab
Nawab of Bengal
The Nawabs of Bengal were the hereditary nazims or subadars of the subah of Bengal during the Mughal rule and the de-facto rulers of the province.-History:...

 Alivardi Khan
Alivardi Khan
Ali Vardi Khan was the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa during 1740 - 1756. He toppled the Nasiri Dynasty of Bengal and took power as Nawab.-Early life:...

.Others thinks that there was only a tidal creek connecting the Saraswati and the Hooghly, near the point where the Adi Ganga branched off. It is rumoured that the Dutch traders re-sectioned this tidal creek to let sea-going vessels come up the Bhagirathi.

18th century

It was known earlier as Gobindapur Creek and marked the southern boundary of Gobindapur
Gobindapur
Gobindapur was one of the three villages which were merged to form the city of Kolkata in India. The other two villages were Kalikata and Sutanuti...

 village. It was excavated by Edward Surman and it bore his name for some time. Surman was leader of the eventful embassy to Delhi in 1717. The nullah was deepened by Colonel William Tolly in 1773 and connected to the Circular Canal. Thereafter, it bore his name.In 1775, Col. Tolly connected the Adi Ganga to the Vidyadhari.

19th-20th century

Ever since Tolly’s renovation the Adi Ganga remained a navigable river. However, the neglect of waterways in general and other factors such as population pressure and unplanned urbanisation caused further silting of Adi Ganga. It ultimately turned into a sewer channel for the south-western part of Kolkata. The waterway is already gasping for life with the human usurpation of its flowing course. At some places the course has totally dried up.

Presently

The Adi Ganga now flows by Tollygunge and Azadgarh, Rani Kuthi, Netaji Nagar, Bansdroni, Naktala
Naktala
Naktala is a neighbourhood in South Kolkata, near Garia under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in West Bengal, India. It is bounded by Ganguly Bagan to the north, Bansdroni to the west, Garia Crossing to the south and Baishnabghata to the east.- History :Previously forest, swampland and a...

, Rathtala /Baishnabghata, Garia, Boral, Mahamayatala, Narendrapur, Rajpur, Harinavi, Kodalia, Changaripota (now Subhasgram), then on to Mahinagar and Baruipur (earlier Atisara village), and gradually reaches Joynagar and Majilpur. Ultimately, the Adi Ganga flows into the Bay of Bengal.

Extension of Kolkata Metro

The Kolkata Metro
Kolkata Metro
The Kolkata Metro or Calcutta Metro is a mass rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata and the districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas in Indian state of West Bengal. The network consists of one operational line and five lines currently under construction...

 stretch from Dum Dum
Dum Dum
Dum Dum is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is a neighbourhood in North-west Kolkata and the location of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, formerly Dum Dum Airport.Dum Dum is a well known place in greater Kolkata...

 to Tollygunge
Tollygunge
Tollygunge is a locality of South Kolkata. It is flanked by the Eastern Railway south suburban line to the north, Lake Gardens and Golf Green in the east, the Pashchim & Purba Putiaries in the south, and Behala in the west.-History:...

 is a totally underground track, except the two terminal stations. A decision was taken to extend the southern end of the Metro by 8.5 km to Garia
Garia
Garia is a posh neighbourhood in south Kolkata, India. It includes the localities of Naktala, New Garia, Chak Garia, Garia Park, Baghajatin, Baishnabghata-Patuli, Techno City, Model Town, Ganguly Bagan, Tentulberia, East Tentulberia, Ramgarh, Briji, Kamalgazi, Mahamayatala, Boral, Sreenagar,...

. The major difference for this extension is a totally over ground stretch running on an elevated track, quite contrary to the existing underground one. The Tollygunj-Garia section presently runs over elevated track running over and along the Adi Ganga. The railway track is laid over a row of concrete pillars on the bed of Adi Ganga. Five out of the six stations on this new stretch are elevated stations. Social activists opine that Metro railway’s construction activity will finally sound the death knell of the Adi Ganga.

Community environmental efforts

Adi Ganga has recently become the focus of a number of community environmental initiatives. A number of suggestions have been made for the revival of Adi Ganga.
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