West Bengal's capital Kolkata continues to struggle to return to normal life on Wednesday as several areas, particularly Salt Lake and pockets of north and central parts remained waterlogged. The disruption follows torrential rain on Tuesday that killed 10 people and paralysed life across the metropolis. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has ruled out heavy rain over the next 24 hours but forecast mostly cloudy skies with light to moderate showers, thunder and gusty winds at some places.
Flooded streets and slow-moving traffic
Water was pumped out of low-lying areas throughout the night but residents of Bidhannagar continued to face flooding, with vehicles moving at a snail's pace and pedestrians wading through submerged lanes. To prevent accidents, the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation kept street lights switched off on Tuesday evening. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had postponed her Durga Puja pandal inaugurations due to the weather, is expected to visit marquees and inaugurate a new fire station at Kalighat on Wednesday. Officials said restoring normalcy ahead of the festive season remains a key challenge even as floodwaters gradually recede.
Record rainfall and heavy casualties
At least 10 people lost their lives in the overnight downpour, nine of them due to electrocution. The rain, 251.4 mm in less than 24 hours, is the heaviest since 1986 and ranks as the sixth-highest single-day rainfall in Kolkata in the last 137 years. Only the rains of 1978, 1888 and 1986 were higher. The storm turned arterial roads into rivers, disrupted Metro Rail, trains, and air travel and forced the state government to advance Durga Puja holidays. The city is grappling with the massive impact of this near-four-decade rainfall ahead of Bengal’s biggest festival.
CM Mamata urges not to politicise 'crisis'
Earlier on Tuesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged political parties not to politicise the crisis. She stressed that the priority must be relief and safety for the people. The Chief Minister added that Kolkata's situation was worsened by inflows from other states and the lack of dredging at DVC, Panchet and Mayurakshi. "In Kolkata, the situation is compounded by floodwaters flowing in from other states. The operations of DVC, Panchet, and Mayurakshi do not fall under our control, and no funds have been allocated to us for dredging. To those commenting on social media, I urge you not to politicise this crisis," she said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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