20 days after clean-up, Subhas Sarobar filthy: Garbage, plastics still pile up
Telegraph | 26 February 2026
Piles of waste continue to remain scattered across portions of Subhas Sarobar, including in the water body in the park, highlighting the poor upkeep of one of the city’s largest green spaces.
About 20 days ago, a group of schoolchildren picked up plastic and other waste from parts of Subhas Sarobar as part of a drive to clean the park.
Officials of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), the custodian of the park, said they had cleared a pile of waste recently. However, a visit on Wednesday afternoon showed that heaps of garbage still occupied the western side of the park.
Subhas Sarobar spans 93 acres, with the water body itself covering 49 acres.
Idols of deities, daily solid waste, plastic and fallen leaves cover a large portion of the western side. Two-wheelers were entering and leaving the campus without any security intervention.
Earlier this month, Metro reported that the schoolchildren had collected plastic bags, food wrappers, disposable cups and cloth rags. Some of the plastic waste had sunk into the soil, with only parts visible above the surface, indicating it had been lying there for a long time.
On Wednesday, the edge along the water body was littered with garbage. A few feet from the water’s edge, piles of plastic, soil and other waste had accumulated. Thermocol containers, plastic bags and other plastic debris floated on the water.
Scientists said plastic thrown into the water affects both ecosystems and human health. “It disintegrates over time. Aquatic animals may ingest it,” said an environment scientist.
People were seen washing clothes by the water body on Wednesday afternoon.
Even in comparatively cleaner portions of the park, discarded fast-food plastic packets were strewn across walkways and gardens.
Officials from the KMDA noted a stark contrast between Subhas Sarobar and Rabindra Sarobar, another major water body in Calcutta.
While Rabindra Sarobar in south Calcutta is clean and well-maintained, Subhas Sarobar in east Calcuttacontinues to struggle with heaps of garbage and unregulated entry.
“The activists play a very important role in keeping Rabindra Sarobar clean. The moment there is any breach, they raise a hue and cry. We receive complaints and act immediately, but in Subhas Sarobar there are hardly any active or engaged visitors,” said a KMDA official.
The official said that 20 cleaners are deployed in Subhas Sarobar, sweeping the park daily.
At any given time, 11 security guards are on duty, the official added.