A Visakhapatnam-based man has sparked a debate online after he shared his experience of visiting Kolkata in a post on X, a trip that has left him unimpressed.
In a series of tweets, DS Balaji described Kolkata as the “dirtiest city of India” he’d visited as he detailed his observations of trash-strewn streets, open gutters, and food stalls set up next to drains in some of the city’s busiest areas.
Chronicling his two-day visit with photos from Sealdah station and Burrabazaar – two of Kolkata’s most crowded places.
Balaji said, “Sharing my personal experience of the recent visit to the capital of West Bengal. The most unhygienic experience I have had in an Indian city.”
“This is not some starving African city, it’s Kolkata. A busy Metro station, called Sealdah. And a market area called Bada Bazaar. Open gutters and urine smells everywhere. Can’t breathe properly. While locals were enjoying breakfast from a shop on top of the gutter nearby,” he added.
He also shared short clips of the location shot by him. Watch it here:
Balaji went on to describe scenes of vendors selling goods atop drains and pointed out what he perceived as a lack of civic sense.
“Vendors were sitting on top of a gutter and selling things In Kolkata. No, I have never seen it anywhere else in India. No matter how poor or bad the infrastructure is. And I have travelled a lot. It’s just a lack of civic and hygiene in the city, which is so sad to see.”
His overall discomfort extended to food markets, which he claimed put him off eating altogether.
“This is a vegetable market from where vendors distribute it to the entire city. The food which you will eat is kept on a gutter, filthy smelling floor. While people are just fighting, abusing, and spitting here and there. I didn’t eat proper food for two days of my stay in Kolkata,” he said in his post.
Here’s the video that he shared in this post:
Balaji didn’t stop there. He further mentioned that the city’s older buildings might not withstand a strong earthquake.
“Most buildings look like they won’t survive a strong earthquake. Irritating honking can give most humans a headache. You can’t book an Uber or Rapidos because local taxis beat them. Hence, drivers don’t like to go into the most busy areas. We end up with local taxis that cost double,” Balaji said.
Here’s the video that he shared:
He also shared an unpleasant experience during his visit to Kaali Ghaat temple as he claimed he was scammed by local pandas, which led to a major monetary loss for him.
“I literally lost thousands of rupees inside Kaali Ghaat temple. Local Pandas surrounded me for VIP Darshan and we kept moving. They tried to sell things, like Divya Coin, Prasad. Even inside the Temple, the priests would get agitated if you didn’t pay them,” he said.
Summing up his trip, Balaji called Kolkata “the most depressing, low-energy, low-frequency city” he’d encouraged, though he concluded his post with the hope that the city would improve.
“I personally felt Kolkata to be the most depressing, low energy, low-frequency city. I may have visited all the wrong places, at all the wrong times. As a caring, aware Indian citizen, I wish the best, for this city. May it improve, grow, and build like others,” Balaji said.
Balaji’s post resonated with some users, while others said that his experience may have been limited to the city’s older parts.
“I agree with everything you said in this thread. Kolkata has a real hygiene issue,” a user said, while another added, “I am sorry about your experience, but I think you must have visited older parts of the city where infrastructure is limited.”
See the comments here:
While DS Balaji’s post highlighted issues that several users agreed with, others defended Kolkata’s charm and heritage as they emphasised that while infrastructure has its challenges, it’s an integral part of the city’s challenges.
