Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 23 (ANI): As heavy rainfall triggered severe waterlogging, flight cancellations, and tragic electrocution deaths in Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday urged political parties not to politicise the crisis. She stressed that the priority must be relief and safety for the people.
The Chief Minister added that Kolkata’s situation was worsened by inflows from other states and the lack of dredging at DVC, Panchet, and Mayurakshi.
“In Kolkata, the situation is compounded by floodwaters flowing in from other states. The operations of DVC, Panchet, and Mayurakshi do not fall under our control, and no funds have been allocated to us for dredging. To those commenting on social media, I urge you not to politicise this crisis,” she said.
CM Mamata further said that in BJP-ruled states, when floods and natural calamities struck, no blame game was pursued.
“We, too, could have resorted to that, but politics has its limits, and nature is beyond anyone’s control,” she added.
The West Bengal Chief Minister expressed grief over the deaths of people who lost their lives due to an electrocution incident following the cloudburst. CM added that she has never seen such rain.
CM stated, “I have never seen rain like this. I feel so bad for the people who have lost their lives in the cloudburst. I have told schools to give a holiday today, and even office-goers should not come to work. Even tomorrow, you should not come”.
The Chief Minister said, “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 Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation Limited (CESC Ltd.), I am saying this clearly. We will also do whatever is possible to help. Even our houses are submerged; we are all suffering. I am feeling so bad for the Pujo pandals as well. Is this not the duty of the CESC to be more mindful? 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.”
The West Bengal CM further added that the State Government will provide compensation to the families of the victims and ensure employment for the next of kin. “But the CESC cannot abdicate its responsibility. They must also extend compensation of at least Rs 5 lakh to each affected family,” she added.
She added, “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. I would implore all private sector workers to also not come to work, calamities affect all equally. The Centre has cut our money through GST, and all our funds are going to deal with these calamities.”
Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja echoed Banerjee’s call to keep politics away from the tragedy.
Panja said, “There is waterlogging in some parts of Kolkata and some people have lost their lives as well. Kolkata Municipal Corporation is doing its work. CM Mamata Banerjee is taking all possible steps to overcome this situation.”
She criticised the BJP for politicising the issue, stating, “The BJP is just opposing the state government on social media. When there was waterlogging in Delhi and Gurugram, there was no action from the BJP. Today, they are speaking a lot about the situation in Kolkata. We condemn politicisation of such an issue.”
In a post shared on X, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) said, “Kolkata has faced a cloudburst of unprecedented intensity, with overnight rainfall measuring 1,423.2 mm across major neighbourhoods. KMC workers are clearing blockages, pumps have been deployed, control rooms are fully operational, and emergency services remain on high alert to ensure the safety and well-being of citizens.”
The TMC further called for solidarity, urging political parties to prioritise humanitarian concerns.
“In moments like these, one expects solidarity and compassion. Yet, BJP chooses cynicism over concern. Politics can wait, humanity cannot. Sadly, BJP fails to grasp this simple distinction,” AITC further said in a post.
However, the BJP launched a sharp attack on the West Bengal government.
West Bengal leader of Opposition Suvendhu Adhikari accused the Chief Minister of negligence, citing the India Meteorological Department’s orange warning for heavy rain.
“EXPOSED: Mamata Banerjee’s Shameless Lies and Incompetence. Once again, the people of West Bengal are suffering under the disastrous misgovernance of Mamata Banerjee, and her audacity to call this rainfall “sudden” is an admission of failure,” Adhikari said on X.
“The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a clear **ORANGE WARNING** for very heavy rainfall in Gangetic West Bengal earlier, before this crisis hit Kolkata and beyond. (See the IMD alert below.) Yet, Mamata Banerjee, Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas (Minister of Power) were caught napping, leaving our people to drown in floods, face electrocutions and lose lives due to their negligence,” Adhikari added.
Sharpening his attacks, Adhikari alleged that this is not an act of God, it’s a “failure of leadership.”
“The IMD’s warning was public knowledge, yet Mamata Banerjee did NOTHING to prepare. No preemptive or proactive measures. Instead, she shifts blame to CESC, absurdly states that, ‘the Water is from Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh’ !!! Her insinuations about lack of dredging by DVC or at Farakka is nothing but a LAME LAME VERY LAME EXCUSE, as the situation in Kolkata is not even distantly corelated, the BJP leader posted on X.
“The People of Bengal deserve better than this irresponsible blame-shifting government,” Suvendu Adhikari added.
Moreover, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim reviewed the rain situation in the city from the control room of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
Amid this crisis, the Government of West Bengal’s Education Department has declared school holidays due to the heavy rainfall forecast in West Bengal for the next two days. Additionally, government-sponsored primary, upper primary, and higher secondary schools have also been requested to remain closed.
Meanwhile, operations at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport were severely affected on Tuesday as bad weather led to the cancellation of 30 flights and delays to 42 others, according to a Kolkata Airport official.
IndiGo Airlines issued a travel advisory for its passengers on Tuesday, stating that some routes across Kolkata were impacted due to heavy rain in the city.
According to the Travel Advisory, the heavy rains led to temporary blocks and diversions on some routes. The airline advised its passengers to check the status of their flight before going to the airport and allow extra time for themselves for commutation due to likely slow traffic movement and waterlogging.
The advisory stated, “Some routes across Kolkata have been impacted by heavy rain, leading to temporary blocks or diversions. We recommend planning your journey accordingly, and leave with a bit of extra time in hand. Please keep a tab on your flight status via our app or website before heading out. Our teams are working proactively to reduce any inconvenience and help you on your way. Thank you for your patience. We are here with you, every step of the way.”
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall has also caused railway disruptions. Howrah station yard, Sealdah South station yard, Chitpur North Cabin, and different car sheds were also waterlogged due to the heavy rains, according to a press release by the Eastern Railway (ER).
The release by the Eastern Railway stated, “Following torrential rains for a long duration last night, waterlogging has been observed over Howrah station yard, Sealdah South station yard, Chitpur North Cabin, different car sheds at different places of Sealdah yard. Water has logged on the Railway lines of the Howrah & Sealdah Divisions. Water pumps have been deployed at several places to pump out the logged water, but as the water from the adjacent civil area is also logged with water, the water is flowing back to the Railway yard, which is causing more difficulties”.
Howrah station yard, Sealdah South station yard, Chitpur North Cabin, and different car sheds were also waterlogged due to the heavy rains, according to a press release by the Eastern Railway (ER). Hazarduari Express (13113) and Sealdah Jangipur Express (13177) trains were also cancelled due to waterlogging issues. (ANI)
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