Behala waterlogging: CM ask mayor to make adequate arrangements

KOLKATA: Residents of some parts of Behala, who have recently experienced worst kind of waterlogging, may finally hope to get some respite with chief minister Mamata Banerjee intervening in the matter asking Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee to ensure that citizens won’t suffer in during monsoon.
Chatterjee got a couple of calls during a public function organised by the KMC health department in front of the civic headquarters.

Sources close to mayor said the CM made query about the complete inundation of some areas in Behala. The CM also apparently expressed her unhappiness about the civic body’s efforts in draining out storm water from areas where people could not move out of their houses for 48 hours.

Kolkata mayor gave a patient hearing to the CM and explained why storm water took longer time to recede. Chatterjee assured CM that all efforts would be taken to give relief to Behala residents from waterlogging in the event of a heavy downpour. Chatterjee also explained that the KMC would be in a position to offer a permanent solution to the problem of flooding once the Asian Development Bank funded Kolkata Environment Improvement Project (KEIP) was complete.

However, Chatterjee later took up the matter with the civic top brass and asked the drainage department officials to stay alert and arrange all types of remedial measures for some of the worst stretches of Behala which are known as waterlogging-prone.

“We have been told to arrange for adequate pumps to flush out rain water from some of the worst waterlogging pockets of Behala. We will also try to give relief to some Behala residents by increasing the capacity of drainage lifting stations which drain out storm water of Behala localities into outfall canals. We may have to keep ready machines for desilting of clogged sewer lines in areas close to Behala,” said a KMC official.

However, despite all preventive measures that the civic body would take to ensure less flooding, residents in some low-laying areas won’t find a respite from the sinking feeling warned a section of the KMC drainage department.

“While the KEIP is in progress, we can’t guarantee that we will be able to ensure that storm water is receded fast,” a KMC official said.

CM also asked mayor to pay attention to repair rain ravaged Diamond Harbour Road, sources close to mayor said on Monday.