Cyclone Dana triggers widespread waterlogging in Kolkata, KMC on high alert

Large parts of Kolkata faced severe waterlogging during the morning hours of Friday as cyclone Dana brought torrential rain in its aftermath, inundating areas across the city.

According to the regional Met office in Alipore, Kolkata received over 100 mm of rainfall till 11.30 am on Friday over the previous 24 hours.

Knee-deep water at several thoroughfares in south and central parts of the city hampered traffic movement in Bhawanipur, New Market, Hazra, Dharmatala, and Behala areas.

Reports of waterlogging were also received from Thanthania Kalibari, Mahatma Gandhi Road, VIP Road, Park Circus, Dum Dum and parts of New Town in the northern and eastern parts of the city.

Significant flooding was also seen inside the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) headquarters in Esplanade area, while patients, staff and health workers were found wading through ankle-deep water at SSKM Hospital, one of the state's primary referral hospitals, causing major inconvenience to visitors and triggering apprehensions of spread of water-borne infections.

Rainwater accumulation was also noticed at the OPD wing of the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, another state-run tertiary healthcare facility in the city.

The KMC deployed suction trucks and portable suction pumps across localities to expedite water removal.

Mayor Firhad Hakim assured that the civic body remained on high alert and had mobilized all resources to tackle the situation.

Suction trucks had been deployed and were seen working in some of the pockets. However, the mayor noted that the high tide in the Hooghly river and incessant rainfall may slow down drainage efforts.

Despite a scheduled working day, streets of the city looked largely deserted with people preferring to stay indoors as precaution against further predictions of heavy showers during the day.

Besides Kolkata, large pockets of southern Bengal also received significant amounts of overnight downpour.

Till 8.30 am, Diamond Harbour and Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas received 93 mm and 89.6 mm rainfall respectively, the Met office said.

In Purba Medinipur, Kalaikunda received 90.6 mm rains till 8.30 over the past 24 hours, while the corresponding figures for Haldia, Medinipur Town and Digha were 80 mm, 52 mm and 37 mm, the weatherman said. Jhargram received 66.6 mm rainfall during the same period.