Bowbazar water seepage leads to protest at Central Metro Stn

KOLKATA: The residents of Bowbazar, frustrated by yet another incident of water leakage in the under-construction tunnel in the Sealdah-Esplanade stretch of the East-West Metro, which forced 52 residents to relocate, staged a protest at Central Metro Station on Friday. They also protested in front of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation

(KMRCL) officials.

Thursday night’s water seepage led Metro authorities to evacuate 7 houses and 11 families from Durga Pituri Lane, relocating 52

residents to hotels.

When KMRCL officials visited the area on Friday morning, tensions escalated as aggrieved residents began to protest. A heated debate quickly devolved into a scuffle between the officials and the locals. The residents of Durga Pituri Lane then stormed Central Metro Station, shouting slogans against KMRCL and blocking the entry-exit gates for a period of time.

They demanded to talk with the Managing Director (MD) of KMRCL.

“This cannot go on,” said a resident of Durga Pituri Lane. “We are facing problems every day. Suddenly at night, we were told to vacate our homes. We have elderly and sick family members.” After receiving verbal assurance that the MD would come and talk to them, the agitators left the metro station premises.

Local Councilor Biswarup Dey expressed his disappointment with the lack of consideration for the residents’ plight. “As a municipality representative, I feel guilty that no administration is thinking about them,” he said. “Everyone knows the problem. Everyone should be more humane, as so many people live here. We are dodging the problem by transferring the blame to the state, sometimes to the central government, and sometimes to the metro authority. But finding a solution by sitting at one table is not being done.”

In the evening, Anuj Mittal, MD of KMRCL, visited Durga Pituri Lane, promising a written assurance and progress report on metro works by next Friday. The situation will be monitored for 48 hours, and residents may return home if no further water

seepage occurs.