Overnight rain triggers flooding, disrupts life in Kolkata ahead of Durga Puja
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal was likely to bring heavy rain to south Bengal
Heavy overnight rainfall for about seven hours triggered flooding, disrupted traffic, train, and metro railway services in Kolkata on Tuesday, prompting the closure of some schools even as more rain was expected ahead of Durga Puja, West Bengal’s biggest carnival.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal was likely to bring heavy rain to south Bengal, including Purba and Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram, and Bankura districts until Wednesday.
The intensity of rain was higher in Kolkata’s southern and eastern parts. Garia Kamdahari recorded 332 mm of rain in a few hours, Jodhpur Park 285 mm, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said. Kalighat recorded 280 mm of rain, Topsia 275 mm, and Ballygunge 264 mm. Thantania (north Kolkata) received 195 mm of rain.
Water logging of the Blue Line (Dakshineswar–Shahid Khudiram), particularly between Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Rabindra Sarobar stations, prompted the suspension of metro railway services on this stretch.
A spokesperson for the metro railway said the services were suspended between Shahid Khudiram and Maidan stations to ensure passenger safety. “Truncated services are being run between Dakshineswar and Maidan stations,” he said. Normal services were expected to be resumed.
Train movement in the Sealdah south section was suspended. Services were hit in the Sealdah north and main sections, an Eastern Railway official said.
Train services were partially affected to and from Howrah and Kolkata terminal stations as tracks were waterlogged. Train movement on the circular railway line was suspended due to waterlogging at Chitpur yard. Traffic snarls and disruption of public transport had office-goers struggling to make it to work.
IMD said another fresh low-pressure area is likely to form over the east-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around September 25.
