Santragachi Jheel

The lake is situated right next to the Santragachi railway station and is quite close to the nearby residential localities. Covering the span of 32 acres, the lake becomes a beautiful site for nature-lovers, especially from December to February. One can spot myriad breeds of birds here, such as the ferruginous pochard, the Swinhoe’s Snipe, the Comb Duck, the Northern Pintail, Cormorants, the Gadwall, the Garganey, the Northern Shoveler, the Water Moorhen, the cotton pygmy goose, the comb duck, and different breeds of whistling ducks. More than 4,000-4,500 birds visit this lake every winter, the majority of them being variations of aquatic species such as the duck and the goose. Besides migratory birds, several resident breeding species are also regularly spotted in the lake, such as egrets, jacanas, and bitterns. Most of the lake is fenced, barring one or two spots.
However, one alarming fact is that the maintenance of this lake is not up to the mark, which leads to contamination of the waterbody, thereby causing a steady fall in the number of birds flocking to this area. Being very closely located in residential areas which produce disposable waste is another reason contributing to the morbidly increasing rate of pollution. It is sad to note that the government is yet to take adequate measures to preserve such a prominent spot.