Kolkata on Monday received the highest single-day rainfall in September in the past 24 hours, the Hindustan Times reported, citing weather officials.
The rain led to suspension of the city’s Circular Railway and disrupted road traffic. Some long-distance trains have also been rescheduled.
In the 24 hours till 8.30 am on Monday, the city recorded about 142 millimetres of rain, according to the Hindustan Times. The last time Kolkata recorded more rain in a single day in this month was on September 25, 2007. The city had then received 174 millimetres of rain.
Videos on social media showed severe waterlogging at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. However, flight services have not been affected, the Hindustan Times, cited officials as saying.
The airport authorities advised passengers to check their flight schedules with the concerned airlines.
Visuals on social media also showed Lake Gardens, a low-lying area of the city, and several other parts inundated.
In a video, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy was seen walking in knee-deep water in the Lake Garden area.
Roy told News18 that it has been raining in the area since Sunday night. “There was a couple of meeting which I could not attend,” he said. “I had two to three programmes scheduled today and all of them had to be cancelled.”
Meanwhile, water accumulated on railway tracks in Howrah-Tikiapara car shed as well as near the Sealdah railway station, resulting in trains getting delayed.
An official said on Monday that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s drainage pumping stations recorded 136 mm rain in Dhapa area, 115 mm in Kalighat and 109 mm in Ballygunge in the 24-hour period, PTI reported.
Canning in South 24 Parganas district recorded a rainfall of 113 mm and North 24 Parganas district Salt Lake 112.8 mm and Dum Dum 95 mm.
The India Meteorological Department said that the rains occurred due to the movement of cyclonic circulation from northwest Bay of Bengal to Gangetic parts of the state, reported PTI. The weather agency predicted rainfall will continue in southern districts of West Bengal till Tuesday.
The India Meteorological Department also said that a cyclonic circulation is likely to form over the east-central and northeastern parts of the Bay of Bengal around September 25. It is likely to move in the north-west direction and reach the Odisha coast in the subsequent 48 hours.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!