ASHA workers salary hike protest cause traffic snarls

Kolkata: Traffic came to a standstill in parts of South Kolkata on Friday afternoon after ASHA workers staged a protest rally, styled as a march to Kalighat, demanding a salary hike.

Sources said the workers were seeking a salary increase and a position equivalent to government employees. They also demanded benefits such as health insurance, provident fund and maternity leave.

As the rally proceeded towards Kalighat, police stopped it near the Rashbehari crossing. Amid rainy weather, vehicles were already moving slower than usual. The situation worsened as the road from Rashbehari Crossing to Hazra crossing was completely blocked, causing massive traffic congestion. Several adjoining roads were also affected due to the lack of vehicular movement between Hazra and Rash Behari crossings.

A large contingent of police compelled the ASHA workers to disperse, following which normal traffic movement resumed. Meanwhile, Traffic across the city was severely affected on Thursday afternoon after heavy rain left major roads waterlogged, causing massive inconvenience to office-goers. Police said water had accumulated on almost every key stretch, including Central Avenue, Bidhan Sarani, Rabindra Sarani, Amherst Street, APC Roy Road, Syed Amir Ali Avenue, Park Circus Connector, AJC Bose Road, Sarat Bose Road and others, slowing vehicle movement and triggering long snarls. While roads in North Kolkata cleared within hours of the downpour, congestion persisted well into the evening.

By 8 pm, traffic in North and Central Kolkata eased, but South Kolkata, including Park Circus, Gariahat, Rash Behari Connector and EM Bypass, remained badly affected. With EM Bypass choked, parts of Salt Lake too faced gridlock.

Commuters reported two-hour delays crossing Chingrihata from Sector V. Police sources added that congestion on EM Bypass also disrupted flow on Maa and AJC Bose flyovers. Kolkata Police traffic control confirmed massive jams in South and southern fringes due to waterlogging.

By late evening, Park Circus improved as water receded. According to KMC data, between 1 pm and 5 pm Jodhpur Park recorded 109 mm rainfall, followed by Ballygunge with 105 mm. Heavy showers also hit Topsia, Dhapa, Chetla, Kalighat and Kudghat.