4-hour op: Crane, pumps called in to rescue cow from VIP Road sewer line

Kolkata: In a dramatic four-hour operation that pushed the city's disaster management units to their limits, a fully grown cow was pulled from the depths of the city's subterranean drainage network on Thursday evening.The rescue near the perennially busy Haldiram crossing on VIP Road, necessitated a coordinated effort by the Bidhannagar Traffic Police, the Fire Brigade, the NDRF and engineers from the agency carrying out the Metro construction at the site.The ordeal began around 2.15 pm when the animal, grazing near a Metro Railway construction site, fell into an open manhole. The site, managed by Metro Railways, was reportedly secured; however, officials later claimed that the manhole cover, installed as part of a safety drill, had been surreptitiously removed and stolen by local drug addicts.The alarm was raised by civic volunteers attached to the Airport Traffic Guard, who immediately alerted their Traffic Inspector (TI) who mobilised the Fire Brigade and the Disaster Management Group (DMG). The agency executing Metro construction in the area was summoned to provide technical blueprints of the underground sewage architecture.As rescuers arrived, they were met with a grim sight. Recent rainfall had partially filled the drainage pipes, and as the cow struggled, the water level rose perilously close to its mouth. The police informed the civic body, which immediately deployed high-capacity pumps at Jatragachi and City Centre II to drain the excess rainwater, preventing the animal from drowning in the cramped conduit.National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel descended into the first manhole but found no sign of the animal. A second manhole, located 20 metres away, also yielded nothing. The cow was eventually traced to a third manhole, nearly 33 metres from the point of entry. By this time, the rescue operation had brought the arterial VIP Road to a standstill. Bidhannagar Police were forced to divert New Town-bound traffic through Joramandir to create a sterile zone for heavy machinery.Rescuers managed to coax the exhausted animal towards the opening of the third manhole. Working in the sludge, NDRF personnel successfully manoeuvred heavy-duty nylon ropes beneath the cow's legs and torso. Around 5.45 pm, a Hydra crane was used to slowly hoist the animal back to the surface. The cow was pulled out alive and appeared to have escaped life-threatening injuries, though it was visibly traumatised. Traffic on the crucial stretch finally resumed around 6 pm, though residual congestion lingered for hours. Get real-time updates and result insights on the CBSE 12 Result 2026.