At least 20 roads blocked, train services hit

KOLKATA: Traffic movement in the city was badly affected after several trees uprooted during the nor’wester on Monday evening.

Train services were also hampered in different sections of Eastern Railway’s (ER) Sealdah division from around 5:40 pm as tree branches fell on

the overhead wire and on railway tracks.

According to police, at least 20 roads were partially or completely blocked as several trees were uprooted during the storm.

In some places a few trees fell on some cars on Hospital Road and Alipore Court complex. Traffic movement was affected on major roads like Belvedere Road, Alipore Road, Sarat Bose Road, Hide Road, Diamond Harbour Road, Camac Street, AJC Bose road, Elgin Road and James Long Sarani. Police along with Disaster Management Group (DMG) personnel sprung into action and started clearing the road by cutting the uprooted trees.Meanwhile, train services were hampered on the up and down suburban lines between Shyamnagar and Kankinara, affecting train movements over suburban lines between Shyamnagar and Naihati. Train movements in this section were, however, maintained via other two lines which were unaffected. Movement of local trains were also disrupted in the Baruipur – Lakshmikantapur section as some tree branches fell on the overhead wire near Jayanagar Majilpur station. In the circular railway section a tree branch fell on the railway line near BBD Bag.

According to Railway officials, tower vans were sent everywhere to restore the situation. In Howrah division, tree branches fell on the overhead wire of up main line at Chandannagar and foreign bodies became entangled with the overhead wire on the up main line at Konnagar. Train movements in Howrah – Bandel section, were however maintained via reversible line which was not affected.