Kolkata: A number of technical issues at Manikhal pumping station near Santoshpur in Maheshtala has emerged as one of the prime reasons behind the delay in draining of water from parts of Behala in South Kolkata. Member Board of Administrators (BOA), Kolkata Municipal Corporation Tarak Singh and outgoing Chairman of Maheshtala Municipality Dulal Chandra Das on Saturday jointly inspected the pumping station to ascertain the ground situation.
Several pockets in Behala have remained inundated after heavy rain lashed the state on Thursday and several wards in Maheshtala has been facing water logging problem as the Manikhali pumping station has worked much below its draining potential.
"Rain water from Behala is channelised through the Manikhali pumping station into river Ganga. There are issues like electricity and dearth of manpower that has resulted in this pumping station being unable to work to its full potential. So, not only Behala has remained water logged, water has flowed back inundating a number of wards in Maheshtala. We have taken stock of the situation and will place the report before Chairman BOA , KMC Firhad Hakim so that measures can be taken to address the problem," Das said.
A culvert constructed by the Railways near Santoshpur railway station underneath a bridge on the canal has also been kept blocked by the Rail resulting in clogging of the drainage channel has been identified as another reason for slow pace of draining of the rain water.
Dredging of the Mani Canal is also of prime importance that has already been taken up at the highest level in the administration with Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi chairing a meeting on Friday evening on the dredging issue of the various canals in and around Kolkata.