“Open Gutters, Urine Smell Everywhere,” X User Calls Kolkata The Dirtiest City In India; Netizens Agree With His Claims

Kolkata is a city that is famous for preserving history and culture beautifully. Decades have passed and a lot of things have transitioned, but most people’s views about the ‘City of Joy’ meet at the same point. From its development to new opportunities, most locals and outsiders tend to be on the same page. This time, a tourist visited Kolkata and had an unpleasant experience overall. His journey was so disappointing that he called Kolkata “the dirtiest city.” But what led to such strong claims against this renowned city? Let’s find out.

The Tourist Called Kolkata “The Dirtiest City In India”

X user DS Balaji (@balajidbv) shared a thread of personal experiences following his recent trip to West Bengal’s capital. Which places triggered such uncomfortable travel diaries?

According to information provided on this X thread, the tourist went to some of the city’s most famous places and local areas. Seeing dirt and untidy corners, he called his trip “The most unhygienic experience I have had in an Indian city.”

Sharing clips of the bustling Sealdah metro station and the popular Bara Bazar market in North Kolkata, he added that these places are in Kolkata and not any “starving African city.” He found difficulties in breathing properly as there were open gutters and urine stench all around. 

Pictures show how a local food vendor sat on the top of a gutter lid. Explaining the miserable situation, DS Balaji shared how he never saw an instance like this anywhere in the country. He is an avid traveller and he came across nothing similar even in poor places with bad infrastructure. He highlighted that there is a lack of hygiene in Kolkata.

Also read: 8 New Restaurants In Kolkata You Need To Check Out This Month

The X user shared pictures of a busy market in the city and showed its unhygienic conditions. The vegetables were kept on top of a gutter around an unsanitary-smelling floor. In between all these, people were seen “fighting, abusing and spitting here and there.” His trip to Kolkata was so horribly intolerable that he could not eat proper food for two days.

Sharing snippets of decades and centuries-old buildings in the city, he added that most of these establishments cannot survive the consequences of a strong earthquake. He pointed out another major issue of local taxi operations in many busy areas. He could not book Uber or Rapido as drivers don’t like to pick up commuters from these places because local taxi drivers beat them. Taking advantage of people’s distress, taxi drivers end up charging a bomb.

A Long Tale Of Miserable Experiences

DS Balaji visited the iconic Kalighat Temple to offer prayers to Maa Kali. This renowned mandir makes its way to most tourists’ itineraries. Unfortunately, he lost thousands of rupees here. He discovered how pandas tried to sell things such as prasad and coins.

If you know about Kolkata’s local culinary landscape, you must have watched videos of the angry Chhangani club kachori wala. The X user headed to this infamous shop and was shocked to see the man selling kachori on top of a running gutter. Saddened by the vendor’s abusive behaviour, he ate at a nearby shop.

Also read: 11 Heritage Sweet Shops In Kolkata For The Best Rosogolla, Sondesh, Chomchom & More!

Based on his personal journey and the places he visited in Kolkata, he felt that the ‘City of Joy’ is the most depressing city in India. Also, it is low on energy and frequency.

Concluding his X thread of visiting Kolkata, he highlighted that famous locations such as Park Street, Maidan, Rabindra Sadan, Salt Lake, and New Town are grand like world-class cities.

Do Netizens Agree?

Both locals and tourists who travelled to the city in the past shared similar opinions about Kolkata. From filthy areas to improper untidy airport washrooms, people agree to the fact that most places in the Bengal capital are covered in dirt on every corner. Here’s how they responded to the post.

Have you travelled to the ‘City of Joy’? What are your views about the city’s present conditions and landscape?

Cover Image Courtesy: X/ DS Balaji (@balajidbv)