Kolkata drowns after heavy downpour, more rain expected

Kolkata:  Most parts of Kolkata went under water after torrential rain all through the night along with high tide on Thursday morning. The m...

Kolkata: Most parts of Kolkata went under water after torrential rain all through the night along with high tide on Thursday morning. The meteorological department has predicted more rain in most parts of the districts in South Bengal in the next 24 hours till Friday. There has been 144 mm of rain in Kolkata from 10 p.m. on Wednesday till 6 a.m. on Thursday, according to MET office sources.

The southern parts of the city including Behala, Mominpur, Ekbalpur, Khidderpore, Kalighat received more rain than the northern parts of the city, the MET office said adding Mominpur received 179 mm of rain — the highest in the city followed by Kalighat with 168 mm, Behala 163 mm and Ballygunge with 153 mm of rain. Areas like Ultadanga (84 mm), Maniktala (77 mm), Belgachia (82 mm) experienced comparatively less rainfall on Wednesday night.

The heavy downpour threw life out of gear as several areas particularly in central and south Kolkata were nearly submerged. Areas like Behala, M.G. Road, Park Street, Theatre Road, Park Circus and Shakespeare Sarani went under knee-deep water making life difficult for those commuting to work.

“There was high tide till 7 a.m. and we had to keep all the lock-gates closed. Otherwise the river water would have entered the city creating more problems for the people of the city,” a senior KMC official said.

“The rain water could not be drained and this led to waterlogging in several parts of the city. We have activated all the 384 pumps spread across 73 pumping stations in Kolkata to drain the water out of the city but it will take nearly six hours to clear the water,” he added.

Firhad Hakim, former Mayor and chairman of the board of members of KMC, surveyed the whole situation and has asked all officials to work on a war-footing to clear the water as soon as possible.

Over the next 24 hours more rain is expected as a low depression has developed in the Bay of Bengal that will affect most of the districts of South Bengal, including Kolkata.

According to the initial forecast there will be heavy to very heavy rainfall in most of the districts of South Bengal including Kolkata, South and North 24-Parganas, East and West Midnapore, Hooghly and Howrah for the next 24 hours.

“The concentration of the rain was high and we don’t have any control over nature but we are doing everything so that people can continue with their daily activities but it will take some time,” a member of the KMC board said.