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New Delhi: Heavy, persistent rain on Monday night and Tuesday morning battered Kolkata, leaving at least 10 dead and disrupting the transport services in the city.
The City of Joy recorded 300 millimetres of rain, the highest ever in its history. It broke the record of 286.8 millimetres of rain that the city witnessed on September 26, 1986. The record rainfall resulted in waterlogging in several areas of the city.
At least 10 people died of electrocution. The first incident took place in Netaji Nagar, with the deceased, a fruit seller, riding his bicycle to work on Tuesday morning, when he lost his balance and put his hand on an electric pole. The remaining tragedies took place in Beniapukur, Ekbalpur, Ballygunge, Haridevpur, Behala, and Gariahat.
The heavy rain affected over 100 flights, with 62 of them being cancelled and 42 others delayed. The airlines issued advisories for people travelling to and from Kolkata on Tuesday.
Due to severe waterlogging in the city, the traffic movement was also disrupted. The suburban rail and Metro services were hit. In many parts of the city, where houses are located in low-lying areas, water entered homes and damaged property. Many important areas like Park Street, Bhawanipur, Gariahat, Salt Lake, Newtown, and Garia were submerged.
Firhad Hakim, the Mayor of Kolkata and a senior TMC leader, claimed he had witnessed such waterlogging in the city for the first time. He said, "There is so much water in my locality, too. I have never seen such a situation. The corporation is arranging food and shelter for the affected people. If it does not rain anymore, we expect the situation to return to normal by tonight."
