Authorities said that at least ten people died in rain-stricken Kolkata, primarily from electrocution, as a result of massive waterlogging brought on by heavy overnight rainfall on Tuesday, which stopped traffic, public transportation, and day-to-day activities around the city.
Roads and apartment buildings throughout the city were inundated by heavy rain that began after midnight, leaving cars stuck for hours in knee-to-waist-deep water at important intersections like Park Circus, Gariahat, Behala, and College Street.
Following the records of 369.6 mm in 1978, 253 mm in 1888, and 259.5 mm in 1986, the deluge, which totaled 251.4 mm in less than 24 hours, was the highest since 1986 and the sixth-highest single-day rainfall in the previous 137 years.
The majority of the city was flooded, and workers from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) were working nonstop to remove the water, Kolkata Mayor and state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim told PTI.
“Our officers are working hard. But the canals and rivers are full of water and every time water is drained out, more is getting inside the city. We fear that the high tide, may not help in our efforts to drain out the excessive water from the city. It would be around 10 PM when the situation could be expected to improve,” Hakim said.
Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister, called the rain “unprecedented” and criticized the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) for its “lapses” and inadequate dredging of Farakka.
“Electricity is supplied by CESC, not us. It is their duty to ensure people do not suffer because of this. They will do business here, but not modernise here? They should send people to the field and fix this,” she said.
Most major routes saw significant traffic disruptions, leaving cars stuck in knee-to-waist-deep water for hours at important intersections like Park Circus, Gariahat, Behala, and College Street.
AJC Bose Road, Central Avenue, and the EM Bypass all had lengthy traffic jams, and waist-deep water totally blocked down a number of minor lanes in south and central Kolkata.
While taxis and app cabs either kept off the roads or charged outrageous fees, commuters reported that buses were breaking down in the middle.
Services on the Blue Line (Dakshineswar Shahid Khudiram) were immediately suspended due to severe waterlogging that was observed in the middle portion, specifically between Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Rabindra Sarobar stations.
According to a Metro Railway Kolkata spokeswoman, services between Shahid Khudiram and Maidan stations have been halted since the morning to protect the safety of passengers. He stated, “Truncated services are being run between Dakshineswar and Maidan stations,” and that regular services should soon return.
While skeletal services are being operated in the Sealdah north and main portions, train movement in the Sealdah south section has been suspended due to waterlogging of the rails, according to an Eastern Railway official.
According to him, train services to and from the Eastern Railway terminal stations in Howrah and Kolkata have been temporarily disrupted because of wet tracks caused by the intense downpour.
Jadavpur University and Calcutta University have temporarily halted their academic operations.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that a low-pressure system over the northeast Bay of Bengal is expected to deliver heavy rain to various districts in south Bengal, therefore the city is bracing for further rain.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said that the rain was more intense in the southern and eastern regions of the city, with Garia Kamdahari receiving 332 mm of rain in a few hours and Jodhpur Park receiving 285 mm.
They also noted that Thantania in north Kolkata had 195 mm of rain, while Kalighat recorded 280 mm, Topsia 275 mm, and Ballygunge 264 mm.
According to the weather office, South Bengal’s Purba and Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram, and Bankura districts are expected to have significant rainfall through Wednesday. It stated that around September 25, a new low-pressure system is expected to develop across the east-central and adjacent north Bay of Bengal.
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