No fresh waterlogging in Kolkata but 3 more dead

The low-lying areas of Kolkata were spared from waterlogging on Thursday despite the 49.9 mm of rainfall that the metropolis received over the past 24 hours.

The low-lying areas of Kolkata were spared from waterlogging on Thursday despite the 49.9 mm of rainfall that the metropolis received over the past 24 hours. However, the total death toll went up to 14 with three more deaths being reported today.

After a high-level review meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta said: “The pumps of Kolkata Municipal Corporation are working round the clock. KMC men are also working hard so that people’s sufferings are mitigated as much as possible.”

However, there was more grim news in store for the city. The Met office forecast said the state will witness intermittent rains in the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, many suburbs of the city remained submerged causing severe hardship to commuters and residents. With the movement of vehicles hampered, the prices of essential commodities, especially vegetables, have shot up drastically.

Wholesale dealers fear the situation will worsen once the depression is over. “The vegetables are just rotting in the fields because of the rains. This will lead to shortage of supply resulting in another price hike,” said Mokhtar Hussain, a wholesale vegetables dealer in Sealdah.

Meanwhile, educational institutions in Kolkata remained closed for the third consecutive day today. Many examinations have had to be rescheduled.