Kolkata: Life in Kolkata and nearby areas came to a near halt on Tuesday as heavy overnight rainfall caused widespread flooding, crippling traffic, public transport and daily activities.

Train and Metro services in the city and suburbs were severely disrupted due to waterlogging on tracks, officials reported. Numerous houses and residential complexes experienced water ingress as roads became submerged following the rain that began after midnight.

Waterlogging affected the mid-section of the Blue Line (Dakshineswar–Shahid Khudiram), especially between Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Rabindra Sarobar stations, forcing an immediate suspension of services along this stretch.
 

A Metro Railway Kolkata spokesperson said, "Truncated services are being run between Dakshineswar and Maidan stations," adding that normal operations are expected to resume shortly. To ensure passenger safety, services between Shahid Khudiram and Maidan stations have been suspended since morning.

Meanwhile, train movement on the Sealdah south section has been suspended, with only skeleton services running on the Sealdah north and main sections, an Eastern Railway official stated. Waterlogged tracks have partially disrupted trains to and from Howrah and Kolkata terminals. Services on the Circular Railway line have also been halted due to flooding at Chitpur yard.

In response to the downpour, several schools declared holidays, while office-goers faced difficulty commuting amid traffic snarls and limited public transport.

The city is expecting further rainfall as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that a low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal could bring heavy showers to several districts in South Bengal.

Rain intensity was highest in southern and eastern parts of Kolkata, with Garia Kamdahari recording 332 mm of rainfall in a few hours, followed by Jodhpur Park at 285 mm, Kalighat 280 mm, Topsia 275 mm, Ballygunge 264 mm, and Thantania in north Kolkata receiving 195 mm, according to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

The IMD forecast heavy rain for Purba and Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Bankura districts through Wednesday. Another low-pressure area is expected to form over the east-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around September 25.

PTI