High tide inundates large parts of Kalighat and Chetla, areas along Tolly’s Nullah
Times of India | 20 September 2024
Kolkata: Large parts of Kalighat, Chetla and areas located along Tolly’s Nullah were flooded by Sharashari ban (high tide) on Thursday afternoon. According to a Kolkata Municipal Corporation drainage department official, the overflowing tide water entered into Tolly’s Nullah from the Hooghly through Doighat in Kidderpore and flooded areas that are located along the nullah.
“We have received complaints from residents of Kalighat, Chetla and adjoining neighbourhoods that in some places tide water entered their homes. The high tide was at its peak, measuring 20.01 ft at 2.14 pm that led to the flooding in areas along Tolly’s Nullah, including Kalighat and Chetla,” said a civic official.
“Every year during Sept the flooding happens and we are habituated with the inundation for 3 to 4 hours during afternoon,” said Rupkumar Kundu who has an idol decoration item shop on Kalighat Road beside Kalighat Bazar. The water level started rising around 12.30pm on Thursday and was waterlogged till 4pm affecting the residents of Mahim Halder Street, Fakir Halder Lane, Debnarayan Banerjee Lane, Kali Temple Road and Nepal Bhattacharjee Street. Avijit Bose, a resident of Nepal Bhattacharjee Street, said, “Tidal water entered my ground floor and our puja room was waterlogged for some time this afternoon. However, water drained out within a few hours. This is quite common here every year before puja.”
The other side of Hazra Road, a part of Harish Chatterjee Street located on the bank of the nullah, including CM Mamata Banerjee’s residence, was also inundated.The CM said, “All places in Kalighat are under water as the water level in Adi Ganga had reached the last stairs of the ghat which is quite high. This is an alarming sign because of which I have asked Lata, Abhishek’s mother, who stays with me to shift. All the lanes in Kalighat are under water. This is due to the high tide during the full moon.”
To find a permanent solution, the KMC sewerage and drainage department has taken up a project at Doighat under which the civic body will construct a barrage and a drainage pumping station. According to a KMC drainage department source, the proposal for the Rs 122-crore drainage upgrade project has been passed in the KMC House meeting and a tender is being floated.