After week of nor’westers, KMC gets ready to tackle monsoon in N Kol waterlogging belt

Kolkata: Pre-monsoon nor'westers have pushed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to fast-track its preparedness in north Kolkata's chronic waterlogging belt, with the under-construction drainage pumping station at Hrishikesh Park set to become partly operational by early June.The sewerage and drainage department is aiming at completing the first phase of the Rs 68-crore project by May, allowing partial commissioning before the monsoon intensifies. Once functional, the facility is expected to ease flooding in several pockets, including Thanthania, Muktarambabu Street, Amherst Street, College Street, Keshab Sen Street and Jhamapukur Lane.Civic officials said the existing pumping infrastructure in the area is inadequate to handle heavy rain, especially during sudden nor'westers. The new station has been designed to manage a higher load and provide quicker draining of stormwater.Mayor Firhad Hakim had earlier flagged the urgency of the project, recalling that Subhas Chandra Bose, during his tenure as Kolkata's mayor, had stressed the need for effective drainage in these flood-prone pockets. Bose would visit inundated areas during monsoon and urge officials to take corrective measures.Residents, accustomed to recurring waterlogging, are cautiously optimistic. Basab Basu, a retired schoolteacher from Amherst Street, said even moderate rain often leaves roads submerged for hours. "We have faced this for years. If the pumping station sta-rts working before monsoon, it could bring relief," he said.Smita Gupta, a homemaker from Muktarambabu Street, said, "Heavy rain means being stranded indoors. We hope this project finally improves our daily life during monsoon." With nor'westers already testing the city's drainage capacity, KMC officials said completing at least a part of the project before the full onset of monsoon has become a priority.