Kolkata experienced its first heavy monsoon spell on Friday, with torrential rain for a couple of hours in the morning flooding large areas of the city, as well as Salt Lake and New Town. The downpour led to significant traffic slowdowns on multiple stretches, especially in central Kolkata, during the morning peak hours.
Highest Rainfall Recorded in Pagladanga
The intensity of the showers was particularly high in Dum Dum and some areas off EM Bypass. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) pumping stations recorded the most rainfall in Pagladanga, a neighbourhood between Tangra and Beleghata, with 115 mm. It was followed by Belgachhia (95 mm), Dhapa (90 mm), Ultadanga (89 mm), and Birpara (88 mm). As a result, stretches in Dum Dum, Belgachhia, Ultadanga, and Shyambazar, apart from the chronic flooding stretches of Amherst Street, Thanthania, C R Avenue, Sukeas Street, and College Street, went under water.
RG Kar Hospital Premises Flooded
Even the premises of RG Kar Hospital in Shyambazar were flooded, forcing patients, families, doctors, and healthcare staff to wade through ankle-deep water to move from one block to another. While the patient wards and OPD counters stayed dry, water entered the ground-floor rooms in the surgery department, which housed some offices. A hospital official confirmed that patient care services were not disrupted.
Drainage Operations and Traffic Slowdown
The KMC drainage department worked to flush storm water out of Amherst Street, Kesab Sen Street, Thanthania, and Muktarambabu Street until late in the afternoon. The accumulated water slowed down traffic on C R Avenue, Ultadanga Main Road, Phoolbagan, College Street, Bidhan Sarani, and some stretches of EM Bypass, such as between Kadapara and Metropolitan, VIP Bazar, and Science City.
South Kolkata and Alipore Zoo Affected
South Kolkata received comparatively less rainfall, though Ballygunge recorded 70 mm, and large parts of Bhowanipore, including the Northern Park area, were flooded. Water also accumulated in parts of the Alipore Zoo, where a leak in a pipe carrying water from the Hooghly added to the problem. State urban development and municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul, along with senior KMC drainage department officials, visited the zoo to assess the situation. The KMC team deployed sucker machines to drain out the water, and animals were unaffected.
Salt Lake and New Town Submerged
Roads in Salt Lake and New Town were similarly flooded, even as Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation and New Town Kolkata Development Authority teams worked overtime to clear gully pits and drain storm water. Vehicles moved slowly through waterlogged streets of Sector V and Karunamoyee. Blocks surrounding the Salt Lake Stadium and several stretches on First Avenue also went under water. In New Town, water accumulated in several neighbourhoods, with the worst conditions in usual flooding spots on and near VIP Road, like Kaikhali, Haldiram crossing, and Chinar Park.
