Waterlogging menace: Mayor meets Irrigation minister

Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Sovan Chatterjee on Thursday met the state minister for 

Irrigation and waterways, Rajib Banerjee to chalk out plans to combat waterlogging in monsoon. Tarak Singh, member, Mayor in Council in charge of sewerage and drainage and Khalil Ahmed, municipal commissioner were present in the meeting.

The officials of KMC and Irrigation and waterways department took a stock of the situation. KMC urged 

Irrigation and waterways department to dredge 12 canals in the city. Senior KMC officials said that it was ready to combat monsoon which was supposed to hit the state within a week or so.

The pumps at the drainage pumping stations are functioning well and even the stand-by pumps are 

kept ready.

The underground sewer lines in vast areas in North, South Kolkata have been upgraded and de silted. This has reduced the duration of waterlogging in areas surrounding Beadon Street in North Kolkata, Bentick Street in Central Kolkata and Rashbehari Avenue in South Kolkata.

The massive waterlogging on Southern Avenue and vast areas surrounding Sukia Street and Amherst Street are matter of the past. In the 1980s, there was chest deep water in these areas and police had to rescue those who used to stay on the ground floors in rubber boats.

The official said the menace of waterlogging has been removed in vast areas surrounding Rabindra Sadan and Akashbani Bhavan. The official said the underground sewer lines had been maintained round the year. 

Tarak Singh said if there was heavy rainfall then some thoroughfares might get waterlodgged but its duration would be minimal. The pumping stations are maintained throughout the years and new pumps with more capacity have been installed.

“The KMC is ready to combat waterlogging in monsoon,” he said. He said on Thursday’s meeting was effective KMC and state Irrigation and waterways department would exchange notes for better functioning.