KOLKATA: Flooded homes, acute drinking water crisis and a possible power cut forced many residents of New Town complexes to shift out of the township.
Accumulated water after Sunday’s downpour showed no signs of receding even on Friday. Safe drinking water is not easily available and, to top it all, on Thursday, the authorities announced a possible power cut in the township.
Many residents have senior citizens and patients at home who have to go out for treatments, but the elevators have been shut since ground floors are flooded. The forecast of more rain early next week has also prompted many to leave. Most of these waterlogged pockets are in Action Area III while some are in Action Area I.
“Several residents have shifted to their relatives’ homes outside New Town. Many people who still have their old houses but had shifted to New Town have gone back for the time being. The scramble to leave increased when it was announced that power in Action Area III might be shut. People did not want to further harassment,” said Mainak Kanrar, joint secretary of the Shukhobrishti residents’ association.
IT professional Subhranghsu Ghosh, who has shifted to his in-laws’ place in Haridevpur, said, “Lifts were not working and there was no drinking water. But the tipping point was when they announcedthat power connection to the complexes in Action Area III might be severed. I then moved out with my family.”
“My mother needs to visit the hospital once in a while. But the lifts have not been working since Sunday night. What if there is an emergency? I cannot take a risk, so, I decided to move to my old apartment on Bangur Avenue for now,” said Shilpa Jaiswal, a resident of Elita Garden Vista.
New Town Citizens Welfare Fraternity held a convention beside the New Town clock tower on Friday to find solutions to the waterlogging issue.
“Something needs to be done to prevent waterlogging here,” said NTCWF secretary Samir Gupta. “The issue needs to be solved with proper planning, involving all stakeholders,” said New Town Forum and News chairperson Samaresh Das.
