New Delhi, Sep 25 (NationPress) A cloudburst that unleashed a month’s worth of rainfall in merely five hours on Tuesday, coupled with a high tide in the Hooghly River, has led to extensive waterlogging throughout Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. While the City of Joy grappled with property damage and fatalities from electrocution, officials shifted blame onto one another.

Misfortunes befell Kolkata just as the state was gearing up for the Durga Puja celebrations.

Expressing sorrow over the loss of lives, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attributed responsibility to the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group’s electrical utility, CESC, and demanded compensation for the families of the deceased.

She also criticized the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for neglecting necessary dredging in the reservoirs and rivers it manages.

She asserted that this lapse led to overflow into the Ganges.

In response, CESC denied any connection between its distribution network and the fatalities, asserting that even the two lamp posts in question were not their property, as reported by a company representative.

DVC also dismissed the Chief Minister's accusations, claiming that the water entering the Ganges was unrelated to the water accumulation in Kolkata.

The DVC is a statutory entity overseeing the Damodar Valley Project across West Bengal and Jharkhand, under the Central Government, managing both thermal and hydroelectric power stations.

This marks the third occasion in two months that the Chief Minister has held the agency accountable for flooding and waterlogging in various regions of southern Bengal.

In July, she criticized them for releasing excessive water from dams without considering the consequences. Severe flooding has plagued districts in southern Bengal, including Hooghly, Howrah, and Paschim Medinipur, due to heavy rainfall.

Interestingly, DVC had warned areas in Purba and Paschim Bardhaman and Siliguri districts before releasing approximately 26,500 cusecs of water even on Thursday, September 25.

Stating that she has endured these issues for the past 14 years, the Chief Minister emphasized her ongoing communication with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to instruct relevant bodies to commence dredging operations in rivers and canals within DVC’s catchment regions.

Earlier last month, CM Banerjee similarly reprimanded DVC for related complaints.

In late February, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) sanctioned a $200 million loan to “boost the development of climate and disaster-resilient sewerage and drainage infrastructure in Kolkata, aiming to enhance the city's livability.”

The bank noted, “Kolkata, one of India’s most populous and densely populated cities, encounters substantial challenges due to insufficient drainage and sewerage systems, leading to urban flooding and unsanitary conditions. These challenges are worsened by increased heavy rains tied to climate change.”

This initiative encompasses the construction of 84 km of combined trunk and secondary sewerage and drainage pipelines, 176 km of combined lateral sewerage and drainage pipelines to customer connections, and 50,000 household sewer connections. Additionally, it will assist in building one sewage treatment plant and five pumping stations.

Regrettably, many water pumping machines are non-functional, and a clogged drainage system combined with a swollen Ganga hampers cleaning efforts.

After taking office in 2011, CM Banerjee's administration initiated a beautification campaign featuring blue and white paint, trident-shaped streetlights, and improved canals with pedestrian bridges and green spaces.

However, residents argue that these efforts were merely cosmetic, as the underlying system deteriorated.

Kolkata has depended on an extensive network of creeks and canals that naturally directed stormwater into the East Kolkata Wetlands.

Illegal constructions and landfill operations have destroyed many of these networks, limiting the city’s ability to drain excess water.

As unplanned urban expansion filled marshes and ponds, the underground sewerage system faced increased pressure, resulting in frequent backups and waterlogging, even during moderate rainfall.