Very heavy rain paralyses normal life in Kolkata; three die of electrocution

Kolkata, Sep 23 (PTI) At least three persons died of electrocution in rain-hit areas of Kolkata, officials said, as very heavy overnight rainfall triggered widespread waterlogging that brought traffic, public transport and daily life in the city and its surroundings to a grinding halt on Tuesday.

"Three persons have died due to electrocution, as per our reports so far," an official of the Lalbazar Police Control said.

Train and Metro Railway services were disrupted in the city and suburbs owing to waterlogging of tracks, officials said.

Water entered many houses and residential complexes in the city as roads went underwater following the rain that started past midnight.

Traffic movement was severely affected across most arterial roads, with vehicles stranded for hours in knee-to-waist-deep water at key intersections such as Park Circus, Gariahat, Behala, and College Street.

Long traffic snarls were reported on EM Bypass, AJC Bose Road and Central Avenue, while several smaller lanes in south and central Kolkata were completely cut off due to waist-deep water. Commuters complained of buses breaking down mid-way, while taxis and app cabs either stayed off the roads or charged exorbitant fares.

Significant waterlogging was reported in the mid-section of the Blue Line (Dakshineswar–Shahid Khudiram), particularly between Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Rabindra Sarobar stations, prompting the immediate suspension of services on this stretch.

A Metro Railway Kolkata spokesperson said in order to ensure passengers' safety, services have been suspended between Shahid Khudiram and Maidan stations since morning hours.

"Truncated services are being run between Dakshineswar and Maidan stations," he said, adding that normal services are expected to be resumed soon.

Owing to waterlogging of tracks, train movement in the Sealdah south section has been suspended, while skeleton services are being run in the Sealdah north and main sections, an Eastern Railway official said.

Train services have been partially affected to and from Howrah and Kolkata terminal stations of Eastern Railway as tracks got waterlogged owing to heavy downpour, he said. Train movement in the Circular Railway line has also been suspended due to waterlogging at Chitpur yard, he added.

Many schools have declared a holiday in the wake of very heavy downpour and waterlogged streets. Office-goers were having a tough time reaching their destinations because of lack of public transport and traffic snarls.

The city is bracing for more downpour as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that a low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal is likely to bring heavy rain in several south Bengal districts.

The intensity of rain was higher in the southern and eastern parts of the city, with Garia Kamdahari recording 332 mm of rain in just a few hours, followed by Jodhpur Park at 285 mm, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said. Kalighat recorded 280 mm of rain, Topsia 275 mm, Ballygunge 264 mm, while Thantania in north Kolkata received 195 mm of rain, they added.

The weather office said heavy rainfall is likely to occur in Purba and Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Bankura districts in South Bengal till Wednesday. It said another fresh low-pressure area is likely to form over the east-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around September 25. PTI AMR SUS PNT MNB SOM PNT RG