Intense spell inundates several roads, hits afternoon traffic across Kolkata
Times of India | 21 February 2025
12 Kolkata: An intense spell of rain that lasted for an hour inundated several parts of the city. Sources in the Kolkata Muncipal Corporation(KMC) sewerage and drainage department conceded the department had no inkling of the intensity of the rain and was caught off guard. By the time the KMC officials at the drainage pumping stations reacted and pressed into service heavy pumps to flush out rainwater, residents in several neighbourhoods faced hurdles due to waterlogging. According to a KMC drainage department official, in some places, it rained as heavily as 40 mm in an hour (between noon and 1 pm).
Sources in the KMC said extra effort was needed to flush out stormwater in areas such as Tollygunge, Golf Green, SP Mukherjee Road, and Mahendra Road (off Sarat Bose Road). In the north, waterlogging could be noticed in Beliaghata, Maniktala, and the adjacent areas. Large parts of Behala, especially neighbourhoods close to Parnasree Palli, witnessed heavy rain (50 mm) in an hour that led to widespread waterlogging. However, residents in some traditional waterlogging pockets like Thanthania, Muktarambabu Street, Amherst Street, or Kesab Sen Street in the north were spared an inundation-like situation as pumps were used to flush out stormwater. A couple of full-grown trees were uprooted during the rain — one near Hindustan Park and the other on Bentinck Street. The KMC parks department engaged tree cutters to remove the fallen trunksto keep the traffic moving. The Kolkata Traffic Police has claimed that though no major traffic jams were noticed all day long — thanks to fewer vehicles hitting the road — minor jams were reported across south Kolkata. Cops stated that the heavy rain coincided with several schools getting over for the day, the final exam season adding to the pressure on the traffic.
With waterlogging at certain key roads like SP Mukherjee Road and Southern Avenue along with DH Road temporarily, vehicles avoided the leftmost lane, adding to the sluggish pace of the vehicles on these stretches. "Visibility too reduced, forcing vehicles to slow down. However, all roads were decongested within an hour of the rain holding up," claimed a DCP.
" We have asked our officials at Palmer Bridge, Ballygunge, Mominpur, Dhapa Lock, Maniktala, and Ultadanga to be ready for any consequences even before monsoon sets in," said a KMC official said.
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