Student washed away trying to click selfie as heavy rainfall continues in state

She also had a telephonic conversation with irrigation minister Rajib Banerjee to take stock of the situation. She also called up KMC Commissioner Khalil Ahmed to take a stock of the situation in the city. The state government also wrote to the DVC not to release water in a situation like this when the Chief Minister is away from the state.

Meanwhile, an engineering student was swept away by high tidal current in river Ajay on Monday. The locals, however, informed the police that the youth, along with three of his friends were trying to click selfies while standing near the slope of the river, when the currents swept them away.

The three other friends were rescued by the state disaster management team, but Aritra Ganguly, who had arranged the trip for his friends, could not be rescued.

Police said, Aritra, a student of Bidhan Chandra Engineering College was resident of Hooghly’s Chandannagore. He, along with other three students of same engineering college – Sujoy Dey, Suraj Dhar and Arindom Sukkar had come to Chittaranjan for a short trip. Due to torrential rainfall in Gangetic Bengal, the river is now flowing above the danger limit.

The youth, took the chance to experience splash of rain in the middle of the river. “They spotted the place to take a selfie, but it was quite slippery and standing there still seemed to be difficult. The blow of tide swept them away and we could not do anything,” said an eye witness. Although Sujoy, Suraj and Arindom were rescued, one boy could not found, said a rescue worker. Aritra had lied to his parents saying they were staying at college, but actually came to Chittaranjan for the trip.

Meanwhile, the condition of weather deteriorated on Monday. The low pressure which was formed on the upper air of the Bay of Bengal on the North-west direction which led to a deep depression in the city’s sky, has considerably gained strength and the city witnessed a heavy rainfall along with waterlogging in roads and traffic had gone haywire. Regional Meteorological Centre, at Alipore predicted that this weather condition will continue for another 48 hours.

However, not only Bengal but most part of the North Bengal also received heavy thunderstorms. Kolkata along with twin cities of Howrah and Hooghly, East and West Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas, Burdwan, Bankura, Purulia witnessed torrential rainfall along with Malda, Alipurduar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri – the districts in North Bengal.

Monday evening was not different from Sunday in Kolkata. The rain started around 2:10 pm and continued till late night. Generally, 6 mm continuous rainfall is enough to inundate the Kolkata roads. 

Most of the roads in Central Kolkata, especially Burrabazar, Muktaram Babu Street, College Square were waterlogged. Most of the lanes in South Kolkata, including posh areas like Dover lane, Southern Avenue were waterlogged. The posh township, Bidhannagar, New Town, main roads such as AJC Bose Road, EM Bypass and Park Circus, Central Avenue and Chandni were water logged along 

with sizable parts in Sealdah and Howrah.