Kolkata:
Life in Kolkata remains out of gear even 24 hours after heavy overnight rain left the city waterlogged ahead of the Durga Puja extravaganza. At least 10 people have died in rain-related incidents, while the City of Joy braces for more showers.
Here are the top 10 points in this big story:
- Several areas in Kolkata are still waterlogged despite no fresh spell. Roads were under water in Gariahat, Joka, Sarsuna, Thanthania, and Amherst Street areas in the city, showed visuals late last night.
- Electricity is yet to be restored in many places where power was cut in a precautionary move. Naked wires have been blamed for over half a dozen deaths in the city, putting the power discom CESC in a tough spot.
- There is a rain forecast in Kolkata and several south Bengal districts in the coming days due to a low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal. Cloudy skies may persist, alongside rain, heavy winds, and thunderstorms over the next 24 hours.
- Heavy rain brought life to a standstill in Kolkata yesterday. The city had not witnessed such a massive downpour in such a short span in the last 39 years. All schools were closed, and there were barely any buses on the roads. Most shops chose to stay shut during the deluge. Mayor Firhad Hakim had urged people not to leave their homes.
- The rain yesterday also damaged many puja pandals in the city, where celebrations had begun over the weekend. With the weather uncertainty, it's unclear if rain is going to be a dampener over the next seven days of the grand festival. Durga Puja vacation has been announced in state schools two days in advance in view of the weather.
- The waterlogging led to disruption in train and metro services. Road traffic was crippled as well. Dozens of flights had to be cancelled.
- At least 10 deaths were reported in rain-related incidents yesterday, of which eight were due to electrocution in Kolkata. The CESC, which provides power to the city, has been blamed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the deaths. The deaths could have been avoided had the CESC not neglected its infrastructure work, she has alleged.
- Mr Hakim, Kolkata's Mayor, said yesterday's unprecedented showers appeared to be a cloudburst that had never happened before in Kolkata. "We used to see such situations of cloudburst in Uttarakhand or Himachal, but this time it is in Kolkata. South Kolkata is the worst affected. Many people died. Many puja pandals are submerged. Hooghly River is overflooded, that is why we are facing difficulties," he said.
- The waterlogging also led to a political fallout, with Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari claiming that the waterlogging and the deaths could have been avoided had the government not ignored the early warning and rain forecast a month back.
- Ms Banerjee, meanwhile, blamed the lack of dredging in the Farakka barrage and said it flooded the Ganga. "Some political parties are passing wrong comments over the natural calamity...We have said many times that there is no dredging taking place by DVC."
