Kolkata: Five persons died in lightning strikes and one drowned as heavy monsoon showers left various areas of the metropolis and the southern Bengal districts waterlogged on Monday, with the weatherman warning of "heavy to very heavy rainfall" in the northern part of the state over the next five days.
The met office also predicted widespread rainfall in the southern districts over the next three days.
Two persons died and eight others were injured in North 24 Parganas district, while two persons were killed in South 24 Parganas district, when they were struck by lightning, an official said.
A boy was killed in Purulia district due to lightning strike, the official said, adding that a youth drowned in Sutunga river in Mekhliganj in Cooch Behar district during the rain.
The downpour affected services of Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway, as speed of trains had to be curtailed following waterlogging on tracks.
In Kolkata, important areas like the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Syed Amir Ali Avenue, Behala, Khidirpur, Ultadanga and Patipukur underpass saw accumulation of water as the skies opened up from the early hours.
Traffic moved at snail's pace, office-goers and school children were inconvenienced, and taxis fleeced commuters - all familiar scenes in rain-hit Kolkata.
To combat the water logging problem, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation opened a control room, and said they were constantly monitoring. A helpline-2286-1212/2286-1313/2286-1414 was opened for reporting water logging in the metropolis.
"In the EM Bypass area there was a drainage system which has got choked due to which the area has become waterlogged. I have visited the area along with other officers. We are working on a Detailed Project Report for coming up with a new drainage system and we will arrive at a solution soon," said KMC Mayor-in-Council, drainage, Tarak Singh.
A Met department bulletin warned of "heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20 cm)" in most places of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar districts from June 25 June 29, "caused by an upper air cyclonic circulation over West Assam and sub-Himalayan West Bengal".
It said several south Bengal districts would also be affected by incessant rainfall over the next three days and issued an alert for North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts.
"Rainfall in most places likely over south Bengal districts due to a cyclonic circulation that lies over northwest Bay of Bengal," the bulletin added.
The maximum rainfall received till 10:30 a.m. Monday is 33.4 mm with relative humidity at 92 per cent.
The met office also predicted widespread rainfall in the southern districts over the next three days.
Two persons died and eight others were injured in North 24 Parganas district, while two persons were killed in South 24 Parganas district, when they were struck by lightning, an official said.
The downpour affected services of Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway, as speed of trains had to be curtailed following waterlogging on tracks.
Advertisement
Traffic moved at snail's pace, office-goers and school children were inconvenienced, and taxis fleeced commuters - all familiar scenes in rain-hit Kolkata.
Advertisement
"In the EM Bypass area there was a drainage system which has got choked due to which the area has become waterlogged. I have visited the area along with other officers. We are working on a Detailed Project Report for coming up with a new drainage system and we will arrive at a solution soon," said KMC Mayor-in-Council, drainage, Tarak Singh.
Advertisement
It said several south Bengal districts would also be affected by incessant rainfall over the next three days and issued an alert for North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts.
Advertisement
The maximum rainfall received till 10:30 a.m. Monday is 33.4 mm with relative humidity at 92 per cent.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
All-Party Meet On July 21 Ahead Of Parliament Session, Trinamool To Skip 10 Best Foods For Better Gut Health During Monsoon Drumstick Soup: A Monsoon Immunity Delight That'll Leave You Dumbstruck Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar Recalled To Academy, Training Put On Hold Under-Fire Trainee IAS Officer Accuses Pune Collector Of Harassment What Trump Rally Shooter Did On Last Day Of His Life This Bengaluru Bar Was Just Named The Best Bar In India For 2024 6 Killed, Dozens Wounded In Shooting Near Mosque In Oman Court Allows 26 Luxury Cars Owned By Sukesh Chandrashekhar To Be Sold Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.