Kolkata: After two days of torrential rain inundating large parts of Kolkata, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said that by Thursday night, most of the waterlogged streets had been cleared except some pockets in the city’s “added areas”.
Tarak Singh, Member Mayor-in-Council, Sewerage and Drainage department of KMC, told the media that main Kolkata—where waterlogging is a recurring problem—had largely dried up. He cited Amherst Street, Sukea Street and Thanthania as examples where water had receded. However, parts of the added areas, such as localities along the EM Bypass, Joka, Sarsuna and Metiabruz, were still facing waterlogging.
Singh attributed the problem to local infrastructural bottlenecks and assured that steps were being taken. “The KMC is reviewing the issues and taking corrective measures. By today, water will be cleared from all areas,” he said.
The city received over 300 millimetres of rain between Monday and Tuesday, with Monday night’s downpour being the heaviest. With rainfall subsiding after Tuesday afternoon, water began to recede from most neighbourhoods. Yet on Wednesday, pockets such as Ballygunge, Park Circus, Topsia, Keshab Chandra Sen Street and Shakespeare Sarani continued to be waterlogged, largely due to clogged drains and accumulated garbage, officials said.
Singh also flagged the challenges posed by the city’s added areas—wards 101 to 144—which were brought under KMC jurisdiction much later. “These wards were merged without any drainage planning. Problems emerged over time. Under Mayor Firhad Hakim’s leadership, new drainage systems are being built there. Citizens will see the results in the coming days,” Singh said.
Despite lingering challenges, the KMC maintained that the worst of the crisis had been overcome within 48 hours of the deluge.