Major thoroughfares choked as city clocks at least 200 mm of torrential downpour

KOLKATA: Even as efforts were underway to pump out water from city streets, some low-lying areas and thoroughfares in the city were still water-logged as heavy rains continued to lash the city and other parts of the state on Thursday. Though additional pumps had been pressed into action to clear stagnant water, Chairman, Board of Administrators of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Firhad Hakim, said the civic body has a capacity to clear water if it rains maximum up to 80mm. But, the city had received about 200mm of rainfall till 2pm on Thursday, Hakim added.

However, most of the streets became water free late on Thursday afternoon. Only some pockets in South Kolkata and southern fringes, East and North Kolkata and northern suburbs were still waterlogged.

Hakim said water had receded from most of the streets in south and north Kolkata. However, some pockets in Behala and North Kolkata were still waterlogged. Hakim tendered apology to the residents of Behala and assured them that water-logging in the pockets would be minimal from 2022 as laying of underground pipes to clear accumulated water would be completed by then. A new pumping station is also coming up at Kidderpore, which will reduce the duration of water-logging.

Hakim regretted that because of the lackadaisical attitude of the state Irrigation and Waterways department—which was previously headed by Suvendu Adhikari— most of the channels surrounding the city were full and unable to carry more water. Hakim said he would take up the matter with the minister in-charge to ensure that all the channels were cleared before monsoon.

Officials of Drainage and Sewerage department said Mominpur in southern fringes had received 187mm rainfall followed by Kalighat 182.6 mm rainfall. Behala received 173.5mm rainfall followed by Chetla (160mm), Kamdahari (146mm), and Palmer Bridge (127mm.)

It rained from 10pm on Wednesday to 6 am on Thursday in most parts of the city and southern and northern fringes. The city woke up to an overcast sky with most of the important roads under knee to waist-deep water.

Stretches on SP Mukherjee Road, Asutosh Mukherjee Road, Chirratanjan Avenue, Sarat Bose Road, Southern Avenue, Gariahat Road, Amherst Street, Thanthania and its neighbourhood, Northern Avenue, Shilpara, Sarsuna Main Road and Shakuntala Park were water-logged.

The owners of some private cars who were on emergency assignment faced trouble after their cars stopped due to waterlogging. Traffic came to a halt in some areas as vehicles moved slowly through the flooded thoroughfares.

Senior civic officials monitored the situation from the KMC control room round the clock. As the day advanced, rain stopped and this helped the civic authorities to clear the accumulated water from the streets.

Water was cleared from most of the important roads in the city by 3pm. Areas surrounding Shilpara and Sarsuna in Behala were still water-logged. Water receded from Thanthania and northen Avenue. Civic officials said if there was no further rain, then water from most areas in the city would be cleared by 10pm. But, the Met department has predicted more downpour over the next three days under the influence of a vigorous southwest monsoon and a cyclonic circulation.

Canning in South 24 Parganas district registered maximum rainfall in the state during the 24-hour period at 178.6 mm, while Bankura received 133.2 mm rain, the Met department said.

Moderate to heavy showers were also recorded in some places of north Bengal. Darjeeling experienced more than 70 mm rainfall.