Torrential rain lashes city, more showers predicted
Kolkata: Heavy rain lashed various parts of the city and other South Bengal districts on Wednesday afternoon leading to inundations in some stretches in Kolkata. The situation was however, brought under control soon by the drainage department officials of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore on Wednesday predicted some more rainfall in all the South Bengal districts in the next 24 hours. The situation is expected to improve from next Friday. Some of the South Bengal districts like North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia and East Midnapore received thundershowers accompanied with lightning on Wednesday. According to the weather office, a low-pressure trough has been forming over Bay of Bengal which will bring more rainfall in the state in the next 24 hours.
Ganesh Kumar Das, a senior official of Alipore MeT office said low pressure is likely to bring more downpour in the South Bengal districts on Thursday and the intensity of rainfall will be reduced from Friday. Some of the North Bengal districts will also receive rainfall in the next 24 hours.
It may be mentioned that various South Bengal districts received scattered rainfall during the recently concluded Durga Puja celebrations. There were rains in various South Bengal districts on the day of Saptami and Ashtami whereas some districts received intermittent rainfall on Nabami and Dashami as well. As there were no prolonged showers, people enjoyed their Puja days unperturbed. The city almost stayed dry on Nabami and Dashami except a few spells of rain in some pockets.
Wednesday's rain left some stretches in the city inundated and the traffic movement was slow in those areas. Rain lasted for a couple of hours in the afternoon as a result of which there was waterlogging along some stretches of Central Avenue. There were inundations on Strand Road, Dalhousie area, some stretches of MG Road and Sukea Street on Wednesday afternoon.
Senior KMC officials swung into action to discharge the accumulated water and brought the situation under control towards the evening. The traffic movement in various places in the city became slower after some parts went underwater. The drainage department officers were prompt enough to release the accumulated water in various pockets.
The New Market pumping station area received 53.08 mm rainfall from 12 am till 2.51 pm on Wednesday while Joka received 44.95 mm rainfall. Mominpur, Behala and Ultadanga received 42.13, 34.29 and 29.71 mm rainfall respectively till Wednesday afternoon. IMD Kolkata office and IMD Dum Dum received 40.38 and 24.13 mm rainfall while IIEST Shibpur recorded 18.79 and Dhapa 17.52 mm rainfall respectively.
