Torrential rain paralysed Kolkata on Tuesday, submerging large parts of the city, leading to at least seven deaths by electrocution, and drawing sharp criticism from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against lapses by power utility CESC.
Calling the rainfall “unprecedented,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief over the tragedy and criticised both poor dredging of Farakka and failures of CESC. “Even our houses are submerged; we are all suffering. I am feeling so bad for the Pujo pandals as well,” Banerjee said, adding that schools have been asked to remain closed and office-goers advised to stay home for safety.
“I am in constant touch with the Mayor, Chief Secretary, and the police. Farakka is not dredged properly, so every time it rains in Bihar, UP, Uttarakhand, Mumbai, Delhi, everywhere there is waterlogging. This time the rain is slightly unusual,” she told a Bengali news channel.
The Chief Minister said she has never seen rainfall of this scale and extended condolences to families who lost loved ones. “I have told schools to give a holiday today, and even office-goers should not come to work. Even tomorrow, you should not come. I heard 7-8 people have died due to electrocution. It is so unfortunate that people have lost their lives. Their families must all be given jobs by the CESC, I am saying this clearly. We will also do whatever is possible to help,” she added.
Did you know that you can join The Theorist on WhatsApp and stay updated? Click here
Squarely blaming the power supplier, Banerjee remarked, “Electricity is supplied by CESC, not us. It is their duty to ensure people do not suffer because of this. They will do business here, but not modernise here? They should send people to the field and fix this.”
ALSO READ: As Kolkata goes under water, West Bengal govt advances Puja holidays in schools
Warning of Further Flooding
Banerjee also cautioned that more flooding could occur due to high tide in the Ganga. “More water will come. There will be more waterlogging. There is high tide in the Ganga river from Mahalaya. Where will we pump out the water? There is no place to go, it will again have to go to the Ganga only. Where will we send this water? It is full of Bihar and UP’s water.”
ALSO READ: As schools shut down amid crippling Kolkata rainfall, IMD says more is coming
Appealing for cooperation, she said, “I would implore all private sector workers to also not come to work, calamities affect all equally.” The Chief Minister further alleged that the Centre had reduced state funds through GST, adding, “The Centre has cut our money through GST, and all our funds are going to deal with these calamities.”
