The locality south of Bidyadharpur train station, Kolkata, presents a complex socio-spatial-ecological periurban puzzle. This locality is less densely settled than areas north of the train station. Due to waterlogging issues and a slowly emerging real estate market, there is much idle land. This is land that is in-waiting for either development, for water to drain properly, or for capital to build a new house. It is not “wasted” land, but it sits somewhere between fallow and a post-rural condition of dilapidation. In this “morass” of idleness, some farmers still want to cultivate, and newcomers want to learn to farm. My project is located within this potentiality of persistence of cultivation.
Furthermore, the town of Bidyadharpur is classified as a census town. This means it does not receive funding for urban infrastructure, but does receive funds for rural improvements, which tend to not impact people’s needs, especially related to waterlogging. In response, residents rely on readily available resources. As observed during the fieldwork, the residents use topsoil to create elevated pathways and grow bamboo for constructing bridges during the flood season. Learning from these practices and patterns, my project leverages existing resources to work within the constraints of the town’s rural-urban hybridity.
First, to address waterlogging, the project proposes that the gram panchayat invest in building a system of farm dams and ponds to manage the flow of water. This hydrological network includes three elements, created by excavating earth and reclaiming embankments. First, a deflection dam that guides water away from the farmlands. Second, a hybrid dam and pond, which diverts and stores water, supporting irrigation during dry seasons. Third, a large retention pond for long-term storage and use in farming.
PATEL HIRALBEN HEMIN
Second, to strengthen connectivity and define residential and common spaces, the project proposes using the elevated grounds formed through water infrastructure. These are articulated through strategic plantation, supported by the gram panchayat’s rural funding. The deflection dam embankment functions as a movement corridor, planted with palm and tesu trees. The retention pond’s embankment frames residential settlements, serving as a flood buffer and offering small gathering spaces under teak canopies. The elevated edge of the hybrid dam and pond forms a generous rentable space for events. This space is defined by a dense plantation of Calcutta bamboo, periodically harvested to create clearings. The harvested bamboo becomes a shared resource offering affordances for making bridges, sheds for farmers, and temporary structures for events.
The third strategy of the project involves the construction of small rental housing for sharecropper farmers. These sharecropper ‘colonies’ are envisioned as clusters of modest homes developed by landowners who have an interest in supporting farming practices in the locality. Such infrastructure does not currently exist; thus, the aim is to provide stable, affordable housing options for those who need to stay and cultivate the land seasonally.
Ultimately, the core of this project lies in re-enabling farming and fostering spaces that strengthen the locality, while also addressing the challenges of the flood season and the needs of commuting residents. It aims to serve as a model for other census towns facing similar conditions. Through infrastructure, shared spaces, and collaborative housing solutions, this project contributes to a broader discussion about possible futures of periurban hybridity.
01_Field Sketches
At the beginning of the semester, I was quite open to what the studio had to offer. With a few notes on the peri-urban and the agricultural landscape in Kolkata, I could easily relate myself to the topic, coming from a place where this type of landscape is highly prevalent. I’ve heard stories of this setting, and the migration of people, work, ideas from rural and urban and vice versa, quite often from my parents. I thought I was kind of prepared with the knowledge I was carrying, thinking that Kolkata sees a similar pattern, almost generalizing it. However, the structure of the course so far has made me question my understanding, in a positive way. Looking at the patterns of urban-rural dynamics in Kolkata made me realise that it is far more diverse than I thought it to be. The studio has motivated me to find patterns but also not generalize them, and appreciate the diversity that landscape, architecture, and urbanism has to offer. I enrolled in the studio (as we discussed in the first week) as I thought it would allow me to discover the potential for designers to work in India. And I think it has helped me understand the field. I think this was also possible because of your way of teaching - kind of shaping and guiding our thought processes that help us discover what we’re actually interested in - which is very unlike the traditional architecture professing styles.
I also really appreciate the reading discussions that we’ve had over the past weeks. While in the beginning I wasn’t very clear about the connection of these to the studio, I could find myself connecting the dots as weeks progressed, and especially during the field work. The theories that we discussed, for example, that of ‘situated knowledge’ - it is really intriguing to see that it applies to even a very small farmerhow their knowledge is also based on their context.
The studio has definitely altered my understanding of landscape and architecture. I have realised the interdependence of landscape and architecture. At least for places like Kolkata, that are trying to grow, I see that architecture alone holds less agency than it would if it were intertwined with fields such as landscape. Also, architecture and landscape are very social fields - very important to understand as designers. We started to talk about these with the readings in the first half of the semester, but the fieldwork really put me in the perspective. One experience was the first lady that we talked to in Ballygunge market. As she cried when we talked to her, I realised the delicateness of our place in society as designers. The interaction helped me question my role as a designer. I think now I understand more why the word ‘mediator’ is helpful.
Another striking thing that I noticed during the fieldwork was the willingness to share - knowledge and resources. Be it as small as sharing a cup of tea, a full meal, or even their whole life story, everyone that we talked to were willing to share as much as they could, I only hope that I can contribute to this exchange of ideas. Apart from this, it also made me realise how problem-focused I’ve been. As you’ve said, there are things that work really well, and people are satisfied with it. I can see my role more clearly as a ‘transformer’ of this satisfaction into an even greater one.
02_Research
02_01 Kolkata Metropolitan Area
Corporation
Corporation
Municipality
Municipality
Panchayat Areas with high possibility of urbanisation
Panchayat Areas of high possibility of urbanisation
Kolkata Metropolitan Area
02_02 Gains, Losses and Persistent
Urbanisation in Kolkata initially began in the city center and gradually extended along the river, following its contours and resources. Over time, this growth spread outward towards the fringes, leading to a classic case of urban sprawl. However, this process is not linear or one-directional; it is marked by a simultaneous inward movement of people into urban areas. This contradictory push and pull between urban expansion and rural migration gives rise to what is now referred to as the "post-rural" condition. In this context, maps reveal a significant transformation in land use: agricultural land is being lost while bare land increases. This shift reflects a deeper socio-economic transition, where individuals who were once dependent on agriculture are now drawn to urban forms of livelihood. As farming becomes less viable and people move away from it, the land is left fallow, creating the bare landscapes characteristic of post-rural scenarios.
02_03 Reasons for Idle Land and Perceptions
livestock rearing small-scale industries seasonal labour
livestock rearing seasonal labour small-scale industries
cultivated land cultivation ceases “more land than cultivators”
cultivated land cultivation ceases
“more land than cultivators”
IDLE LAND
landlosingnutrientsshrinkinginterestinagriculture realestate speculation moving to the city
2011 pathways created as ‘shortcuts’ with walking over time
vegetation intensifies
new water bodies due to removal of topsoil new roads
new houses
Historical maps reveal that much of this land was still under cultivation as recently as 2014. Over the years, however, agricultural activity began to decline—disappearing in phases across different plots by 2019, 2020, and beyond. As cultivation ceased, the landscape began to shift.
02_05 Street View Images of Idle Land
This idle land becomes a social space for gatherings, a pasture for cattle, and a habitat for various animals. Native grasses like hogla begin to flourish in the open tracts, and small-scale business solutions emerge, responding to the changing rhythms of life in these in-between zones.
02_06 Kolkata Periurban
Map showing the census towns and low-lying areas within potential for development in periurban Kolkata around the four stations - Bidyadharpur, Kalipur, Champahati and Piali.
In the absence of formal urban governance and planning mechanisms, census towns like Bidhyadharpur remain in a state of infrastructural and administrative limbo—lacking both rural support and urban investment.
Mediating structured growth from within, will offer a replicable model for decentralized development in under-serviced, low lying peri-urban regions.
PATEL HIRALBEN HEMIN
02_07 Observations from the field
To the north of the railway station, there has been more visible development. This includes improved road connectivity towards Sonarpur and active government-led infrastructure projects. New schools, roads, and a panchayat office have emerged in recent years, indicating a clear effort towards urbanisation.
In contrast, to the south of the railway station lies a vast stretch of idle land. Development here has been slower. These lands were previously used for farming—typically only once a year—but have remained unused for nearly a decade. This southern area is low-lying and prone to flooding during the monsoon season. Water levels can rise up to a meter, often reaching waist height.
Land ownership in this area is fragmented. The plots were once marked using various methods, and as land passed down through generations or between family members, it has been divided further.
Today, new houses are being built as multiple owners begin developing their respective sections. This shift in land use is raising concerns among older residents and farmers, particularly about the disappearance of agriculture in the area. Some newcomers, however, express a desire to farm alongside their other interests. While some newcomers are interested in farming, many are also drawn to the land for housing and recreational uses.
The affordable land prices and the area’s proximity to city job opportunities have attracted a wave of outsiders to Bidhyadharpur.In its idle state, the land has taken on informal functions. Locals use the space to hang out, relax, and gather. It also becomes a venue for event celebrations, forming a kind of informal commons in the absence of structured development.
03_Projections
03_01 How to Mediate the Morass?
03_02 Administrative Framework
03_03 Seasons
03_04 Plant Palette
MOVEMENT
SPACES
SHADE
RESIDENTIAL
03_05 Vegetation as Spacemaker
03_06 Hydrological
Infrastructure
01 Deflection Dam
area: <1000 sq.m.
construction: digging a ditch; building an elevated dam
space: movement avenues planted with tesu and palm trees
02 Hybrid Dam + Pond
area: 2000-4000 sq.m.
construction: digging a pond; using the soil to form elevated gathering space
space: enclosure within bamboo grove
03 Retention Pond
area: 3000-5000 sq.m.
construction: digging a pond; using the soil for surrounding embankments or residential foundations
space: shade under teak tree canopy
PATEL HIRALBEN HEMIN
03_07 Re-activating Locality
MEDIATING THE MORASS
03_08 Affordances of Bamboo
MEDIATING THE MORASS
This 3D object explores the affordances of bamboo through time. It begins with an event space within the bamboo grove, then transitioning into a recognizably functional form, such as a bamboo bridge. Finally, it morphs into abstract forms, illustrating bamboo's speculative future within the project.
04_References
Allen, A., JD Dávila, & Hofmann, P. (2006). Governance of Water and Sanitation Services for the Peri-Urban Poor: A Framework for Understanding and Action in Metropolitan Regions. Development Planning Unit, University College London.
Banerjee, D., & Bhattacharya, S. (2021). Adi Ganga- Enmeshed Water Heritage of Kolkata - The Living Waters Museum. Living Waters Museum. https://www.livingwatersmuseum.org/adi-ganga-enmeshed-water-heritage-of-kolkata BHOOMI. (2025). BHOOMI Geoportal. Bhoomigeoportal-Nbsslup.in. https://bhoomigeoportal-nbsslup.in/
Chiara Cavalieri, & ViganòP. (2019). HM : the horizontal metropolis : a radical project. Park Books.
Gangopadhyay, A., & Patra, P. (2020). The historical background of the canal system in Calcutta, India, and its contribution to development. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering History and Heritage, 173(3), 80–91. https://doi.org/10.1680/jenhh.19.00024
Klokan Technologies GmbH. (2025). Old maps of Sundarbans. Oldmapsonline.org; Old Maps. https://www.oldmapsonline.org/en/Sundarbans?gid=4dbbdd5a-79f0-5005-a56c-cbfd4d 13e7cc#position=9.3534/22.3754/88.5213&year=1911
Kuntala Lahiri-Dut. (2014). Beyond the water-land binary in geography: Water/lands of Bengal re-visioning hybridity Kuntala Lahiri-Dut. ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies, 13(3), 505–529.
Marshall, V. J. (2024). Periurban Cartographies. Oro Editions.
Narain, V. (2024). Muddling Through Waste: Self Governance and Collective Action in the Wastewater Commons. New Frontiers in Regional Science: Asian Perspectives, 45–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-8872-9_3
Sengupta, K. M. (2021). William Tolly and His Canal: Navigating Calcutta in the Lake-Eighteenth Century. The Journal of Indian Ocean World Studies, 5(1), 68–92. https://doi.org/10.26443/jiows.v5i1.99
