Kolkata: A major water supply pipeline beneath the Tala Bridge leaked on Monday morning, triggering severe waterlogging in parts of the neighbourhood, impacting train services and disrupting water supply to large parts of the city.
The damaged 1,800 mm diameter pipeline ran under the railway tracks, according to Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) officials. More than 5 million gallons of water gushed out of the leak, a KMC official said. “We are working hard to repair the leak, but it will take 2 to 3 days. It is one of the four distribution lines coming out of Talla water reservoir that can store 44 million gallons of water. Residents in Tala neighbourhood said they saw water gushing into their homes around 8 am.
But today was an exceptional day when water entered homes due to a leak. TOI visited the entire locality, including Sarkar Bagan Lane, Banamali Chatterjee Street, and other alleys adjacent to the Circular Railway line, which was left waterlogged due to the leak. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolkata | Silver Rate in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Petrol Price in Kolkata | Diesel Price in Kolkata | CNG Price in Kolkata | LPG Price in Kolkata Stay updated with the latest Kolkata news.
KMC officials said water supply to neighbourhoods off Central Avenue, Rajabazar, College Street, Bidhan Sarani, Park Circus, AJC Bose Road, parts of Ballygunge including Ballygunge Circular Road and Gurusaday Road, and parts of Kasba, including many areas west of Gitanjali stadium was likely to be affected. Till the leak is repaired, the pressure of water will be low and supply could be intermittent, said KMC officials. KMC sources said the damaged line was built by the British. “The most difficult task in such situations is dewatering the pipeline because the pressure of water is huge,” said an official. The force and speed with which water entered their homes looked like floodwaters were entering, said residents. We have been living here for many years, but we have never experienced anything like this in November on a clear, sunny morning,” Bina said. However, I must say the administration worked relentlessly and drained the water within a very short period of time,” he said. A committee member said, “We all went home after Kali Puja concluded at midnight.
Kolkata railway station is located close to the stretch where the tracks were waterlogged. Emergency repair work is currently underway, though residents across north, central and south Kolkata are likely to experience water supply shortages until the pipeline is restored. I will request people to bear with us. The damaged line used to supply potable water to four or five booster pumping stations. Some of the affected areas were Sashi Bhusan Chatterjee Street, Sarkar Bagan Lane and Banamali Chatterjee Street. Bina Paria, a resident of Sashi Bhusan Chatterjee Street, woke to water gushing into her home and flooding the room where her husband was sleeping. “We are used to this during the monsoon. But this morning, I was absolutely astonished to find the entrance flooded. The room where my husband was sleeping is close to the entrance gate, and water had already entered there. Sabyasachi Dey, a resident of Banamali Chatterjee Street, experienced the same ordeal in the morning. “This was completely unexpected. It is a low-lying area, so we are familiar with waterlogging during the rainy season. The Puja pandal on Banamali Street was also flooded, taking at least four hours to clear. This morning, someone called me to come immediately as the entire area was flooded. We rushed to the spot and immediately asked the electrician to disconnect the power supply. The way the water was entering, it looked just like a flood. Download the TOI App.
People can call us and seek a water tanker in case of water shortage,” Smita Pandey, KMC’s administrator and commissioner, said on Monday evening.