23 September, Tuesday: Kolkata woke up to a rain-lashed morning on Tuesday with overnight heavy showers drowning several parts of the city and surrounding areas. From schools and metro train services to train and flights, disruptions spread across the board, paralysing the daily life of many.
The rain, which began around midnight, flooded a number of residential complexes and flooded main roads, making traffic movement very tough. Large stretches of the city remained inaccessible for hours, forcing authorities to deploy emergency teams to clear clogged drains and operate pumping stations.
Metro and rail services were affected badly
One of the worst-affected was Kolkata Metro's Blue Line (Dakshineswar–Shahid Khudiram), where extensive waterlogging was witnessed between Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Rabindra Sarobar stations. A Metro Railway Kolkata spokesperson informed, "To ensure passengers’ safety, services have been suspended between Shahid Khudiram and Maidan stations since the morning," as reported by Mint. Shortened services are being run at present between Dakshineswar and Maidan, while normal operations should resume shortly.
On the suburban network, Eastern Railway authorities confirmed that waterlogging led to suspension of services on the Sealdah south section and only limited trains were being operated on the Sealdah north and main sections. Circular Railway services were suspended because of flooding at the Chitpur yard. Train traffic to and from Howrah and Kolkata terminal stations was affected as tracks got submerged, affecting thousands of commuters.
IndiGo issues advisory to passengers
The air travel of the city was not spared either. IndiGo gave an advisory cautioning passengers of diversions and delays. The airline, in its statement, stated, "Some routes across Kolkata have been impacted by heavy rain, leading to temporary blocks or diversions. We recommend planning your journey accordingly and leave with a bit of extra time in hand." Passengers were also asked to check their flight status on the app or website of IndiGo before going to the airport.
https://x.com/IndiGo6E/status/1970320758250307985
While the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has blamed the rain on a low-pressure trough in the Bay of Bengal, it has forecasted heavy showers for Kolkata and surrounding districts for the next 24 hours. As preparations are on for Durga Puja, organisers have been asked to stay alert as the city awaits more showers.
