In 1962, Kolkata began pumping dredged material from the Hooghly into its Salt Water Lakes, reclaiming wetlands to build a planned township that became Bidhannagar, or Salt Lake

West Bengal created land for a new township by dredging Hooghly river material. This project began in 1962, transforming wetlands into Bidhannagar, or Salt Lake. The reclaimed land was developed into a planned residential and commercial urban centre. First residents moved into the new township in March 1970. Today, Bidhannagar is a major business and technology hub for Kolkata.