One day at the Shaymbazar Crossing Kolkata

Today I went to Shyambazar on an errand. When I reached Shyambazar, I was at a loss to see the five – route crossing. I didn’t know the exact way where I was going to buy my school uniform. So I got down from the auto and stood near the crossing. It was noon; the sun was shining brightly over the head. Just imagine how hot the day was!

It was my first visit to the place which is one of the crowded centers of Kolkata. So many buses, vehicles were plying the entire area teaming up with traffic. The traffic jam was being controlled by the traffic police. It was very troublesome for the pedestrians to cross the busy roads. The place was abuzz with a mix of different kinds of noise.

There were many stalls-juice sellers, magazine stalls newspaper stalls and other-near the entrance of the roads. Seeing the crowd around me, I felt suffocated I approached a traffic controller and enquired him about shops. I felt relieved when I came back home. However the picture of congestion, crowd and chaos at Shyambazaar was lying heavy on my mind.


by Debanjan, Class IX, Hariyana Vidya Mandir 

Strewn Garbage on Streets Mar the Environmental Beauty of Kolkata

Kolkata is growing in terms of population. Urbanization of the city is on the go in full swing. The city has become crowded more densely than before. Though development is on the go, the city that is a place of Indian cultural heritage is infested with problems, one of which is garbage. Garbage heaps on the streets is a common picture to behold in North and Central Kolkata. 

It results in several problems for the auto drivers and pedestrians. The huge heaps of garbage on one side of a street narrow the street and make it difficult for the vehicles to run smoothly. The situation turns worse during peak hours of the day when there is a jostling traffic.

Stray animals like dogs and cows keep roaming around the garbage heaps dumped on streets. The pedestrians sometimes land in trouble because of stray animals. Moreover, the animals keep digging the garbage heaps, as a result of which the rubbish gets scattered here and there, making the surrounding dirty and stingy. An unpleasant smell emanates from the pile of garbage and lies heavy in the air of the surrounding.

The worst of the problems resulting from the dumping of garbage on the sides of the street is the spread of flies and insects like mosquitoes. The garbage heaps are an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes that carry the germs of such serious diseases as malaria, dengue etc. 

The city of Kolkata is a beautiful hub of culture and history. But the strewn garbage mars the environmental beauty of the city that, in turns, makes a negative impression on tourists and travellers in the city.  It is a shame on the Municipal Corporation and its administration.
                                                                                      By Koushik Pal, Student of class IX

For more essays on problems in Kolkata, follow: 

The Sorry State of Local Trains from Suburbs to Kolkata