From wetlands to a weekend hub: The transformation of Eco Park

As Calcutta Times turns 25, we revisit 25 spaces that reflect how Kolkata continues to reinvent its cultural landscape. Few places embody that transformation quite like Eco Park - a sprawling urban green in New Town that has evolved from marshy wetlands and sparse plantations into one of the city’s most popular recreational hubs.What it was thenBefore the landscaped gardens, themed zones and weekend crowds, the area that would eventually become Eco Park was largely open land. According to Partha Sarathi Ghosh, who was closely associated with the park in its early years, the site was still taking shape when work first began.“I was there from the beginning… before that there was nothing like an Eco Park,” he recalls. “There were only Gate No. 1 and Gate No. 2 and a small area. From base number one to base number five there was a place called Maser Bela.” Much of the landscape consisted of wetlands and open terrain. “There was a wetland park there,” Ghosh explains. “The important thing was the water body. At that time there was not a single tree.”Gradually, the area began to change as plantation drives and landscaping projects were introduced. “First the plantations started. Then a rose garden was built, then a rain forest was built. Slowly, one by one, things came up,” he says. In the early days, visitor numbers were modest. “On Saturdays in the beginning, maybe three thousand, four thousand, five thousand people would come,” Ghosh recalls. “In winter especially, from November till March, many people started coming.”As footfall grew, the park’s infrastructure had to expand rapidly. Parking quickly became one of the biggest logistical challenges. “There were so many cars -1,000, 1,200, sometimes 1,500 cars a day,” he says. “We had to plan ourselves where the parking would be and how to manage it.” The administrative structure was also relatively small at the start. “There were very few people,” Ghosh remembers. “There was a curator, a manager and two or three office workers.” Yet even in those early years, the scale of public interest was evident. “On one day , 25 December - we had around one lakh visitors,” he says. “We had to manage everything… so many people, so much control.”What it is nowOver the years, Eco Park gradually expanded into a multi-zone recreational landscape built around a large central water body. Today it is among the largest urban parks in India, combining themed gardens, activity spaces and open walking areas that attract thousands of visitors every week.Several attractions soon became favourites. “Two things became very popular,” Ghosh says. “One was the train and the other was the Eco-cart.” The toy train that circles sections of the park quickly turned into a visitor highlight, especially for families.Different themed gardens also emerged across the park. “You see there is a Japanese garden there,” he notes. “There was also the Prajapati garden. It was very beautiful and many people used to come there.”Infrastructure evolved along the way. “Earlier the island was almost empty,” he recalls. “We used to go there by boat. The bridge came much later.” Over time, the park also began hosting events and public gatherings. “Sometimes big industrial houses used to come and display their products,” he says. “It became a place where people could come together.” For many Kolkatans today, Eco Park is as much about everyday leisure as it is about attractions. Arindam Saha, a regular visitor, often comes here for evening walks, sometimes accompanied by his grandson.“I come here quite often for a walk, sometimes with my grandson,” he says. “What I like is that you can do so many things in one place. You can walk around the solar dome area, stroll near the Eiffel Tower replica, get a cup of tea, maybe play a round of golf or grab a snack. There’s even a zoo. Some days you feel like doing activities, other days you just want a calm evening by the water - Eco Park gives you both.”Why we love it