Kolkata birders seek rethink on Rabindra Sarobar fee plan
Times of India | 27 June 2026
Kolkata: A proposal to introduce an entry fee at Rabindra Sarobar after 10am has unsettled Kolkata’s birding community, with members of Biodiversity of Rabindra Sarobar (BoRS) planning to approach urban development minister Agnimitra Paul and KMDA to seek a rethink.
Birders fear the move could undermine years of citizen-led work to document and protect the avian diversity of Dhakuria lake, now regarded as one of Kolkata’s key urban biodiversity hotspots. Charging children, students and regular observers, they said, risks cutting off a generation growing up in a concrete jungle from one of the city’s last accessible windows to nature.
For Jadavpur University medical superintendent Mitali Deb, a keen birder who has documented birds at the lake for over a decade, the concern goes beyond money. She said the Sarobar has helped draw young people away from phones and towards binoculars, cameras and field observation.
“Rabindra Sarobar is the lungs of Kolkata. People not only enjoy the peaceful environment but they also learn about many different birds, animals, butterflies and trees. As a physician and environmentalist, I have conducted many nature walks for school children and university students, exposing them to biodiversity and showing them conservation methods,” Deb said.
Birders said the timing of the proposed fee is especially problematic because serious birding often begins after the morning rush thins. Dhruba Jyoti Chakraborty, former professor at Visva-Bharati University and senior vice-president, South City Projects, said Sarobar before 10am is crowded with walkers and singers.
“Before 10am, Sarobar is teeming with morning walkers. The cacophony is not ideal for birding that needs a serene environment. Many of us enter Sarobar in the early evening during winters to photograph rare migratory birds,” he said.
The lake attracts resident birds and winter migrants, including the eyebrowed thrush from Siberia and pied thrush from the Himalayan region. Birders said their visits over 17 to 18 years have created a living archive of sightings, photographs and checklists that helped establish Sarobar’s ecological importance.
“Rabindra Sarobar has emerged as the no.1 birding hotspot near Kolkata because of the efforts of birders. The lake now attracts national and international photographers. Introducing a fee for birders after 10am is quite detrimental to birding activities,” Chakraborty said.
Dipayan Chakraborty, a central government employee and birder, warned that a daily charge could reduce visits by students, beginners, low-income visitors and amateur naturalists. “Entry fees at Banabitan in Salt Lake reduced the frequency of visits by birders and nature enthusiasts, creating barriers to regular observation and documentation,” he said.
Birders said Banabitan’s decline as a birding destination should serve as a warning. They argued that while a nominal upkeep fee may be acceptable to some, it must not lead to the Sarobar becoming a manicured park at the cost of habitat. They also cautioned against steep camera charges, saying camera users usually record biodiversity, not commercial content.
Among the proposals being discussed is a special pass or exemption for birders engaged in biodiversity monitoring, nature education and conservation work.