Torrential rain over the past two days owing to the formation of a low-pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal has thrown life out of gear in several districts in the southern part of the state, where streets have gone under water and rivers overtopped banks, submerging low-lying areas.
Many Eastern Railway (ER) and South Eastern Railway (SER) trains had to be cancelled or rescheduled as tracks remained inundated near Howrah and Kolkata terminal stations. Among the ones that were cancelled include Poorva Express, Lal Kuan Express, Hool Express, while Howrah-New Delhi Superfast Express, Himgiri Express and Doon Express were rescheduled. Circular Railway services in and around Kolkata were totally suspended owing to the incessant rainfall since Wednesday evening.
In the Sealdah division, services of Kolkata-Lalgola Express and Kolkata-Hazarduari Express were scrapped for the day, while Poorvanchal Express and Radhikapur-Kolkata Special were short-terminated. The South Eastern Railway cancelled special express trains from Howrah to CSTM (Mumbai), Titlagarh, Secunderabad and Puri, and rescheduled several other trains.
Howrah: Passengers deboard an express train stuck on the waterlogged railway track after heavy rain from the last two days at Tikiapara area in Howrah, Friday, July 30, 2021. (PTI Photo)
Several places in Kolkata, New Town and Howrah city remained heavily waterlogged throughout the day with gushing rainwater entering homes in some areas.
Kolkata: Workers push a tricycle cart as commuters sit on it, through a waterlogged street following heavy rains in Kolkata, Friday, July 30, 2021. (PTI Photo)
With Para and Silabati rivers overflowing, parts of Keshpur and Chandrakona in Paschim Medinipur lay inundated, cutting off remote areas from the rest of the district. Similarly, large tracts in Jhargram were submerged owing to the overflowing of the Dulung river. Heavy waterlogging also hampered everyday life at Haldia in Purba Medinipur, Ghatal in Paschim Medinipur, Bolpur in Birbhum and Indus in Bankura.
Howrah: Children outside their waterlogged house, after incessant rains for the past two days, in Howrah, Friday, July 30, 2021. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)
Traffic came to a halt on many flooded state highways in Bankura, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur as water took time to recede after overnight downpour.
The weatherman has forecast heavy rain till Saturday morning in Purulia, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Paschim Bardhaman, Purba Bardhaman and Birbhum districts. It has also forecast heavy to very heavy rain in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, and heavy rain in Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar districts in sub-Himalayan West Bengal till Sunday.
Kolkata: Vehicles wade through a waterlogged road during rain in Kolkata, Friday, July 30, 2021. (PTI Photo)
Heavy rains trigger a landslide on National Highway (NH)-10 near Kalimpong following which the road was blocked & traffic movement was affected. The NH-10 connects Gangtok (Sikkim) with Siliguri (West Bengal).
Panskura in Purba Medinipur district recorded the highest rainfall in the state in 24 hours, till 8.30 am on Friday, at 250 mm, it said. Other places that recorded heavy rainfall are Uluberia (220 mm), Diamond Harbour (220 mm), Ghatal (210 mm), Debogram (200 mm), Indus (190 mm) and Kalimpong (180 mm).
Kolkata recorded 150 mm rainfall during the period, the Met department said.
(With PTI inputs)
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