Heavy rain wreaks havoc in Kolkata, metro and rail services disrupted, 5 electrocuted
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Torrential rains disrupted normal life in Kolkata and surrounding areas on Tuesday night. The heavy downpour led to flood-like conditions in the city, killing five people. The continuous downpour forced water into homes in many areas, disrupting normal activities. Traffic was completely disrupted as major roads in the city were submerged.
Services on the Kolkata Metro Railway's Blue Line were halted between the Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Rabindra Sarovar stations due to waterlogging. According to a spokesperson, the metro is not running from Shahid Khudiram to Maidan, while limited service is continuing from Dakshineswar to Maidan.
According to Eastern Railway officials, trains are suspended due to waterlogging on the Sealdah South section. Only nominal services are running on the Sealdah North and Main sections. Trains from Howrah and Kolkata Terminal have also been affected. Waterlogging in the Chitpur yard has also halted operations on the Circular Railway Line.
The India Meteorological Department has warned that a low pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal could bring more heavy rain to several districts in South Bengal. Garia Kamdahari in the city recorded 332 mm of rain, Jodhpur Park 285 mm and Kalighat 280 mm.
According to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Topsia recorded 275 mm of rain, Ballygunge 264 mm and Thantania 195 mm. Waterlogging caused severe inconvenience to office-goers and several schools declared a holiday. The Meteorological Department said that heavy rains are likely in Purba and Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Bankura until Wednesday. Furthermore, another low pressure area is expected to form over the east-central and northern Bay of Bengal around September 25, which could prolong the rainy season.