This document summarizes a study on the state of the environment around Survey Park in Kolkata, India. It discusses the significance of urban ponds, increasing population pressures, and the need for proper pond management. It then describes the location of Survey Park and reasons for selecting it, which include its intimate relationship with three large ponds used by the local community. Water quality parameters were measured for the three ponds. The study methodology involved field surveys, sampling, and laboratory analysis. Flora, fauna, land use changes, soil types, climate, and groundwater in the area are also summarized.

1. STUDY OF THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
&
AROUND SURVEY PARK, SANTOSH PUR, KOLKATA
BY
MOUMITA ROY
Roll No. Pc/ ESM/ 1006
Registration No. 110965 of 2006-2007
A THESIS SUBMITTED AS A PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN
ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEM MANAGEMENT
PRESIDENCY COLLEGE, KOLKATA

2.  The significance of urban and semi-urban waterbodies (ponds) is
being appreciated now as never before.
 Increasing population in urban and semi-urban centers has put more
stress on water management of city administrations.
 This has necessitated proper management of the ponds ecofriendly
for better water quality.
 The ponds also have a great ecological importance in urban
environment – from microclimate control to biodiversity.
 Kolkata, the second largest metropolis in the country, has about
3000 ponds of different dimentions.
 These ponds have multiple uses : about a million people use it for
bathing, washing, performing religious rites, as city parks and
many also used for pisiculture.
 The study is also on the impacts of ponds on a residencial area of
Kolkata (actually the study on ponds & its role ), to find its prime
uses and users.

3. The main observations of
the study are ------
 The value contributed by a pond considering
existence value, option value etc.
 Sustainability from the viewpoint of human use
and pisciculture may have some incompatibility.
 Proper community management of the area
around the ponds can attain ecosustainability
of the ponds without compromising on quality of
life.

4.  Local Name: Survey park, Santosh pur
 City: kolkata
 State: West bengal
 Country: India
 Continent: Asia
 Latitude: 22°31'48"N
 Longitude: 88°16'12"E
 Distance as the crow flies between Santoshpur and India's capital
New Delhi is approximately 1,298.9km.
 Survey Park is a wellknown livingplace.
LOCATION MAP

5. REASON OF SELECTION
 The Study area : Survey Of India Cooperative housing
colony has 3 large well known ponds, namely
Narkelbagan Pond, Nil pond & VIP pond .
 But the basic reason to choose the survey park area is
the intimate relationship between the housing colony &
the ponds.
 The ponds also constitute their resource base.
 Increasing population in urban & semi-urban centers
has put more stress on water management of the area.

6. 1. Resource
 Bathing : A large number of people from
lower economic background use them for bathing.
 Washing : Washing of clothes, utensils and
other domestic requirements.
 Rainwater Harvesting : Acts as rainwater storage.
2. Environment
 Climate Control : Ponds affect local micro-climate,
making it cooler & dust free.
 Open space: For recreational uses & room for
air movement.
 Trees : pond banks with tree plantations,
preserving greenary.
 Aquatic Ecology: Ponds support many aquatic and
other species, a receptacle of biodiversity in urban
context.
 USES OF PONDS IN SURVEY PARK

7. 3. Economy
 Fish cultivation: Source for local employment
and good source of protein.
4. Social
 Community Gathering: People spend happy time sitting
around these ponds & communicating with others.
 Sports: provide opportunities for water
sports.
5. Culture
 Temples: supports religious activity being
sources of water temples by their sides.
6. Fire fighting:
 In congested urban areas of survey park, ponds are most
useful as a source of water supply for fire fighting.

8. Functions Wetland Urban Pond
Location At the margin of human Human habitation
habitation Inside
Users A specific group of people common people
Size Covers a wide area Small but many in no.
Ecological
Importance Very Important significant
 COMPARISION BETWEEN WETLAND
& URBAN POND

10.  METHODOLOGY
FIELD SURVEY SAMPLING
LABORATORY METHOD

11.  DETERMINATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY
 Ponds in survey park control the nature of the living
place.
 Habitants takes their relaxations daily at their homes
with the sight of the waterbodies & coolness of the pond
to set their mind for better performance in work place
as office, school, colleges etc.
 The parameter which influences the environment of the
dwelling unit around the ponds where monitored.
RAINFALL & CLIMATE
 Four distinct climatological seasons eg.
1. Mild Winter,
2. Brief Spring,
3. Summer with occasional Norwesters and
4. Prolong Monsoon.

12.  The mean temp in summer is 29.250 C and goes up to a
maximum of 400 C in the month of April.
 The climate during monsoon months is warm and humid.
 The mean temp in winter is 22.50 C, which goes down to a
minimum of 100 C in the months of December-January.
 The normal annual rainfall is 1647mm.

13.  The area forms a part of the lower deltaic plains of the
Bengal basins.
 It is a typical deltaic flat land with surface elevation
ranging between 3.5 to 6m above mean seal level.
 Several low lying depressions in the form of waterbodies
occur within the city and most of these represent river
scars of the post river channels of Bhagirathi.
 The master slope of the land is towards south.
 Younger levee, deltaic plain, inter distributory marsh,
paleo channels and younger levee adjacent to river Hugli
and older levee on both sides of the old Adi Ganga are the
important geomorphological units present in the area.
 The area is covered with younger alluvial soil mainly of
silty & clayey loams.
 GEOMORPHOLOGY & SOIL TYPES

16. GROUND WATER QUALITY
 Ground water in KMC area may be classified under
two principal types viz. a) Bicarbonate type and b)
Chloride type.
 The anionic types may further be subdivided into two
types on the basis of predominance of cation
concentration.:
i) Calcium- Magnesium bicarbonate,
ii) Sodium bicarbonate and
iii) Calcium- Magnesium chloride and
iv) Sodium chloride.
 Ground water of the Survey park is of Chloride type.

17.  Since the partition of Bengal in
1947 & also huge migration of Hindu
population of East Pakistan ( now
Bangladesh from 1971) all these
areas have harboursed many
refugees who started changing the
landcover & landuse by clearing
shrubberies, depending waterpools,
raising paddy field ground levels by
filling up them with earth from the
pools.
 DYNAMIC CHANGES IN LAND USE

18.  These areas afforded the foothold of numerous marsh species
like Sphenodea, Hydrolea, Ammonia, Enhydra, Wedelia, Sesbonia
etc. The ponds & ditches harbour many submerged & floating
water plants like Utricularia, Pistia, Hydrilla, Lagarosiphus,
Ceratophyllum, Ohelia & valliseneria etc.
 The natural vegetation along Downstream towards Haltu
Kalikapur & separating Santosh pur proper from Survey park,
included village Shorubberies of semispontaneous species like
Odina, Zigphus, Acacia, Glycosmis, Trema often interspersed with
chumps of planted Bamboos, grooves of Areca, Coconut, Maringa,
Mangifera etc.
 Wayrides & waste dump areas other than those spoiled by heaps
of non biodegradable materials are filled with grasses & weeds.
 The rice fields were, thus, converted to semi urban
settlement by replacing marsh species with ‘ kuchu Garden
᾽ & land trees dominated by coconut, Areca nuts, Mango,
Banana etc. wood species were few the Bamboo grasses.
 BOTANICAL DIVERSITY OF THE STUDY AREA

19. BOTANICAL DIVERSITY OF THE STUDY AREA
PHYTOPLANKTONIC DIVERSITY
IN WATERBODY COMMON FLORA
COMMON FLORA PHYTOPLANKTONIC DIVERSITY
IN WATERBODY

20. ZOOLOGICAL DIVERSITY OF THE STUDY AREA
 THE FAUNAL POPULATION HAS ALSO UNDERGONE CHANGES DUE TO CHANGES IN LAND USE &
RELATED ELEMENTS OF ECOLOGY.
 IN THESE AREAS PRIOR TO 1947 THERE WERE FISHING CAT, CIVIC CAT, MONGOOSE,
MONKEY, JACKALS, FOX, REPTILES OF VARIOUS DESCRIPTION, RODENTS.
 WITH VARIOUS STAGES OF URBANIZATION RESULTED IN DWENDLING OF THE POPULATION OF
LARGE VERTEBRATES & MUCH OF REPTILES POPULATION & AVERIANS. AT PRESENT ONLY
HOUSEHOLD DOGS , CATS RODENTS, COMMON REPTILES, RARELY JACKELS & BIRDS ARE
SEEN IN THE AREA.
 IN THE PRESENT DAY URBANIZED ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS THE WATERBODIES HOST SMALL
VERTEBRATES LIKE RODENTS, JACKEL & COMMON SERPENTS. IN THESE BODIES SOME
MIGRATORY DUCKS & OTHER COMMON BIRDS HAWKS, GOLDEN ORIDLES,
SANDPIPERS,PELICANS, OWLS, DOVES, CROWS, SPARROWS, JAYS ETC. THE BIRD POPULATION
IS THINNER IN THIS WATERBODIES.
 SINCE THE STUDIED WATER BODIES IN SURVEY PARK AREA ARE BEING UTILIZED FOR
PISICULTURE. ALMOST ALL THE LOCAL VARIETIES OF FRESH WATER FISH ARE GROWN IN
THESE WATER BODIES. IT PROVIDE SOME OCCUPATION & ECONOMIC SUSTAINANCE TO A GROUP
OF PEOPLE. THEREBY PROVIDES A SOCIAL HERMONY & PEACE
 DIFFERENT BENTHOS IN WATERBODY: FISHES, INSECT LARVAE, BEETLES, MITES,
MOLLUSCS, CRUSTACEANS ETC.

21. parameters NIL PUKUR POND NARKEL BAGAN POND VIP LAKE POND
TEMPERATURE 26.5° C 25° C 25° C
Ph 8 7.5 8
TURBIDITY( ntu) 1.2 1.8 1.8
TOTAL DISSOLVESOLIDS 632 mg/lit 776 mg/lit 1088 mg/lit
CONDUCTIVITY 790 970 1360
FREE DCO2 16.72 mg/lit 10.04 mg/lit 14.2 mg/lit
DO AT 26°C TEMP 3 mg/lit 4.4 mg/lit 4.6 mg/lit
BOD 3 DAYSAT 27°C TEM
(1% dilution) 280 mg/lit 460 mg/lit 560 mg/lit
CALCIUM 36 mg/lit 72 mg/lit 80 mg/lit
MAGNESSIUM 214 mg/lit 118 mg/lit 130 mg/lit
CALCIUM CARBONATE 72 mg/lit 110 mg/lit 80 mg/lit
CALCIUM BICARBONATE 87.84 mg/lit 134.2 mg/lit 97.6 mg/lit
HARDNESS AS CaCO3 250 mg/lit 190 mg/lit 210 mg/lit
CHLORIDE 134 mg/lit 158 mg/lit 290 mg/lit
IRON 2.96 mg/lit 1.97 mg/lit 2.85 mg/lit
SULPHATE 332.724 mg/lit 504.848 mg/lit 368.484 mg/lit
PHOSPHATE 1.39 mg/lit 1.424 mg/lit 3.14 mg/lit
NITRATE 1.002 mg/lit 0.894 mg/lit 2.319 mg/lit
OIL & GREASE 0.34 mg/lit 0.45 mg/lit 0.64 mg/lit
 ANALYSIS OF POND WATER
Analysis of pond water from 3 different locations during december, 2010. Faecal Bacteria are presents in
all water samples.

22. SAMPLING OF POND WATER
Sample 1 Narkel bagan pond Sample 2 Nil pukur pond
Sample 3 VIP pond

23.  Nature of waste water flowing through the canals in
the area
 Sampling of sewage canals done from 2 different locations
during December, 2010. The results are given below.
 Sample 1: from concreate bridge across the Rajapur canal at a
point of 20 mt. upstream of waste water discharge outfall from
the Hyland park complex.
 The dumping of solid waste, plastic & biodegradable &
nonbiodegradable wastes are seen in the bank.
 Sample 2: from Rajapur – Dhapa waste water channel to be
downstream of waste water discharge from Calcutta green &
Ambuja housing Complex away 100 mt.
 ANALYSIS OF SEWAGE CANALS
 Analysis of sewage canals down stream & up stream from 2
different locations during december, 2010. The results of
sewage silt analysis are given.
 Faecal Bacteria are presents in all water samples.

24. PARAMETERS Sample 2 Sample 1
TEMPERATURE °C 28° C 26° C
Ph 7.5 7.5
 DO AT 26°C TEMP nil. nil
 BOD 3 DAYSAT 27°C TEM (1%
dilution) 320 mg/lit 380 mg/lit
CALCIUM 136 mg/lit 98 mg/lit
MAGNESSIUM 324 mg/lit 252 mg/lit
HARDNESS AS CaCO3 460 mg/lit 350 mg/lit
CALCIUM CARBONATE 132 mg/lit 84 mg/lit
CALCIUM BICARBONATE 161.04 mg/lit 102.48 mg/lit
CHLORIDE 435 mg/lit 640 mg/lit
 NITRATE 9.31 mg/lit 6.092 mg/lit
 PHOSPHATE 6.92 mg/lit 6.33 mg/lit
 SULPHATE 833.332 mg/lit 473.936 mg/lit

25. parameters Tube well
TEMPERATURE 26.5° C
Ph 7.7
TURBIDITY 57.2 NTU
TOTAL DISSOLVESOLIDS 2480 mg/lit
CONDUCTIVITY 3100
FREE DCO2 22 mg/lit
Arsenic Below detection level
CALCIUM 52 mg/lit
MAGNESSIUM 118 mg/lit
CALCIUM CARBONATE 90 mg/lit
CALCIUM BICARBONATE 109.80 mg/lit
HARDNESS AS CaCO3 170 mg/lit
CHLORIDe
fluoride
840 mg/lit
Below detection level
IRON 7.97 mg/lit
SULPHATE 201.212 mg/lit
PHOSPHATE Below detection level
NITRATE 0.0 mg/lit
QUALITY OF GROUND WATER
Tubewell water from the Survey Park Matri Mandir

26. LOCATION DATE TIME IN DAYTIME MINIMUM TEMP IN °C MAXIMUM TEMP IN °C
A1 7/12/2010 9:45 AM 13.1 26.9
8/12/2010 9:45 AM 22.3 31
9/12/2010 9:45 AM 26.5 38.2
10/12/2010 9:45 AM 13.2 26.9
11/12/2010 9:45 AM 12.4 25.9
12/12/2010 9:45 AM 12.1 25.6
13/12/2010 9:45 AM 12.4 25.8
14/12/2010 9:45 AM 11.7 24
TEMPERATURE & RAINFALL MEASURE MENT
Station code:
 A1 = Nearer area of Narkel bagan pond ( in Matri mandir),
 A2 = Nearer area of nil pukur pond( C 225, Survey Park ),
 A3 = nearer area of VIP pukur Pond ( A 119, Survey Park ).
LOCATION DATE TIME IN DAYTIME MINIMUM TEMP IN °C MAXIMUM TEMP IN °C
A2 22/12/10 8:10 AM 11.7 23
23/12/2010 8:00 AM 11.4 22.6
24/12/2010 8:10 AM 11.2 22.3
25/12/2010 8:20 AM 11 21.9
26/12/2010 8:00 AM 10.5 21.6
27/12/2010 8:10 AM 10.5 21.5
28/12/2010 8:05 AM 10.5 21.6
29/12/2010 7:50 AM 10 21

27. LOCATION DATE TIME IN NIGHTTIME MAXIMUM TEMP IN °C MINIMUM TEMP IN °C
A2 22/12/2010 4:55 PM 21.9 10.5
23/12/2010 4:45 PM 20.9 10.2
24/12/2010 5:05 PM 21.5 10.3
25/12/2010 5:10 PM 23.5 11.5
26/12/2010 5:00 PM 22.4 10.5
27/12/2010 5:05 PM 22.4 10.8
28/12/2010 5:00 PM 21.8 10.6
29/12/2010 4:45 PM 24 11
LOCATION DATE TIME IN DAYTIME MINIMUM TEMP IN °C MAXIMUM TEMP IN °C
A3 14/12/2010 8:40 AM 21.2 10.5
17/12/2010 9:45 AM 27.9 14.3
18/12/2010 10:05 AM 27.2 18.1
19/12/2010 10:15 AM 26.5 12.9
20/12/2010 10:00 AM 28.6 18.9
21/12/2010 9:40 AM 27.2 14
LOCATION DATE TIME IN NIGHTTIME MAXIMUM TEMP IN °C MINIMUM TEMP IN °C
A3 14/12/2010 8:45 PM 20.9 10.2
15/12/2010 9:00 PM 20.6 10
16/12/2010 8:50 PM 20.3 10
17/12/2010 8:45 PM 20.9 10.2
18/12/2010 8:50 PM 20 9.9
19/12/2010 8:45 PM 19 9.8
20/12/2010 8:40 PM 19 9.8
21/12/2010 8:30 PM 21.2 10.5

28. YEAR MONTHLY ( FOR DECEMBER) ANNUALLY
1945 0 133.7
1970 0 169.37
1980 0 139.01
1990 1.6 197.07
2000 0 129.05
2005 0.2 161.29
 REPORT OF RAINFALL ON MONTHLY ( DECEMBER) & YEARLY BASIS
YEAR MONTHLY ( FOR DECEMBER) ANNUALLY
MAXIMUM IN °C MINIMUM IN °C MAXIMUM IN °C MINIMUM IN °C
1945 25.8 12.8 31.4 21.6
1970 26.7 12.7 31.6 22.2
1980 27.7 14.9 32 22.5
1990 27.3 15 31.1 22.4
2000 27.2 14.8 31.4 22.8
2005 27 15.2 31.7 22.9
 REPORT OF TEMPERATURE ON MONTHLY ( DECEMBER) & YEARLY BASIS
PARAMETERS
AREA NO2 ( μG/M3 ) PM 10 ( μG/M3 ) SO2 ( μG/M3 )
 KOLKATA 80.08 175.54 10.05
 SOUTH 24 PARGANA 74.05 192.38 9.27
 COMPARISION OF AIR QUALITY DATA BETWEEN DISTRICT KOLKATA
& SOUTH 24 PARGANA DURING DECEMBER , 2010.

29. NOISE LEVEL MEASUREMENT
Ambient noise levels in study area were measured. The noise levels
although exceeding the norm for residential area exceed only by a
few decibals they are acceptable taking in to consideration that
average noise level in Kolkata is relatively high.
Date of 12.4.2010
Monitoring
 Location Santoshpur pumping station
Mean noise level in dB(A) 54.9
Site activity Vehicles were plying

30. CONCLUSION
I) Urban and peri-urban ponds are the main sources of water for a
large number of people.
ii) Most of the users come from the poorer section of the society.
iii) If the ponds are not maintained there will be a possibility of
water crisis including fire hazard management.
iv) The pond water is within the prescribe quality for human uses.
Except for bacterial impurities.
vi) The upkeep of the ponds & maintenance 0f water quality over
time is prim importance for environmental conservation. Even
now the ponds impart a salubrious effect on the climatic
condition & air pollution in the area.
v) Sustainability from the viewpoint of human use and that from
the viewpoint of pisiculture may have some transient
incompatibility which needs to be taken care off. So that water
quality , bank protection , waste disposal & pisiculture do not
cause adverse impacts. & there by lead to social &
environmental conflicts.