Anandapur warehouse fire puts spotlight on illegal construction on East Kolkata Wetlands

Anandapur warehouse fire highlights illegal construction threatening East Kolkata Wetlands, raising ecological and safety concerns amid political blame.

As a massive blaze tore through a warehouse in Anandapur and killed over 25 people in the wee hours of the Republic Day (Januray 26, 2026), it exposed a deeper fault line in the system — how illegal and indiscriminate construction has eaten away at the ecologically sensitive zone in the fringes of east Kolkata.

Experts warn that such rapid encroachment of the wetlands, which are a natural filter for sewage water, can lead to long-term damage to the ecology of the city and its surroundings. Official records and court proceedings have on multiple occasions raised concerns over encroachment and unauthorised development in the protected wetland zone. 

The East Kolkata Wetlands Management Authority’s (EKWMA) Management Action Plan 2021–2026 stated that “Land use and land cover of the wetland to be maintained in line with regulatory requirements under Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 and East Kolkata Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Act, 2006. No illegal transformation of land use.” 

The report also mentions a stark figure that according to studies, the wetlands save Kolkata city and its surroundings a whopping ₹4,680 million annually in water treatment costs. 

The wetland treats over 900 million litres of sewage generated by Kolkata Municipal Corporation every day (approximately 65% of the total sewage generated in the metropolitan area). These wetlands which are situated right beside the capital city of West Bengal spans over a massive 12,500 hectares. Experts fear that this massive piece of land has become a lucrative business space for the land mafia. 

“This is part of our natural resources. The wetlands filters huge amounts of water on a daily basis. It is like recharging of the water. It also helps the production of almost half of our fishes and vegetables. If this space shrinks our ecosystem will also be destroyed,” Partha Pratim Biswas, professor of construction engineering at Jadavpur University, told The Hindu raising concerns about the encroachment of the wetlands and its transformation into real estate structures.