Andhra Man Calls Kolkata 'India's Dirtiest City', Compares It to Africa, Viral Post Sparks Debate

Viral News: A recent post by an Andhra man comparing Kolkata, the 'City of Joy,' to a starving African city has sparked outrage. In the viral post, the man shared his experience of visiting the city and claimed it to be the most "unhygienic."

"Kolkata - The Dirtiest City of India. 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. Requesting to take this thread positively. Though I don't care much if you don't," he wrote.

In a series of tweets, he also shared pictures from Sealdah station and Burrabazaar, two of Kolkata’s most crowded places.

“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 further wrote.

According to him, the city lacks civic sense and hygiene. "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, and I have traveled a lot. It's just a lack of civic sense and hygiene in the city, which is so sad to see," he wrote.

Additionally, sharing clips from his overall discomfort in food markets, which he claimed put him off eating altogether, he said: “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 also mentioned his unpleasant experience at the famous Kaali Ghaat temple, where he claimed to have "lost thousands of rupees" as vendors constantly tried to sell him things. "Even inside the temple, the priest would get agitated if you don't pay them," he added.

Lastly, he described the city as depressing, with "low energy" and "low frequency."

"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," he wrote.

How Did the Internet React?

The post garnered over 6.2 million views. While some netizens completely disagreed with the man's opinions, others were shocked to see the visuals he shared.

"Bro, you went to old Kolkata! Every city in India has an old part where new infrastructure cannot be made. And they are dirty. Go to Salt Lake, Newtown—you will get to know the new and clean Kolkata. But yes, Kolkata is still way behind in civic sense," one user wrote.

Another user remarked, “I am sorry about your experience, but I think you must have visited the older parts of the city where infrastructure is limited.”

"People are defending Kolkata in the comments saying you went to old Kolkata. Bhai, Chandni Chowk in Delhi is 1000 times cleaner than this," an individual defended the post.

"I totally agree with everything you said about Kolkata in this thread. They have a real hygiene issue. I landed in Kolkata just for two days to travel to Thailand and took a one-day tour. By the next day, my whole family caught red-eye. Their use of pan is another big issue, and honestly, I felt that the people don’t care a bit about hygiene at all," a final comment read.