বাংলায় পড়ুন
The week started with everyone gearing up for work, but the havoc of the Remal cyclone began on Sunday night itself. Kolkata witnessed hours of incessant rainfall, leading to a gloomy Monday morning with heavy showers. While metro services faced disruptions, several buses struggled on the roads amidst waterlogged streets. Many found their paths obstructed by flooded roads as they ventured out of their homes. From office workers to college students, everyone wore the same troubled expression.
If a week of rain paints a picture for city dwellers, Remal showed it in a day!
One after another, trees fell, disrupting train services. The entire southern branch of the Sealdah train route came to a halt. Auto services in the city ceased, and waterlogged roads became a common sight. Areas like Khidirpur and Kolkata Port Trust's Haldia Road witnessed inundation. From Behala to Pathakpara and from Thanthania to Bansdroni, the city was submerged under water. The Ganges surged vigorously on Monday morning, breaching the lock gate at Millennium Park.
Many had hoped to reach their offices and schools via the underground railway. However, even the Kolkata Metro services succumbed to Remal's might.
From Sunday afternoon until 7:20 PM, New Garia to Mahanayak Uttam Kumar station remained temporarily closed due to waterlogging. According to metro authorities, a section of the shed roof at Kavi Nazrul station towards the south was blown away by strong winds. Meanwhile, trains were running from Mahanayak Uttam Kumar station to Dakshineswar as usual.
But Monday brought more trouble for metro services!
Between 5:00 PM and 7:20 PM, the metro service between Park Street and Esplanade stations was affected as water inundated the tracks. As a result, the entire stretch from Garia to Tollygunge was shut down.
Metro authorities announced that they had initially started operations from Kavi Subhash to Tollygunge and Girish Park to Dakshineswar, considering passenger safety. However, staff worked tirelessly to remove water from the tracks. Despite their efforts, the tracks between Park Street and Esplanade stations were submerged, disrupting services.
Subsequently, normal metro services resumed from 12:05 PM onwards.
Not only the common folk, but this day also witnessed a struggle against Remal in the Tollywood industry. Some shootings were halted, while others braved the stormy weather to continue their work. Several television serials faced interruptions, while a few episodes were shot amid the challenge of rain and winds. In Tollygunge, multiple television serial shootings were affected, but compared to other days, work resumed with a slight delay across all floors.
In Kolkata, Remal took one life! The incident occurred in Ward 56 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, in the garden area of Entally. Amidst the storm, a young boy went missing, and during the search, he was found critically injured. At that moment, a cornice collapsed on him. The incident happened between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on Sunday night. According to local sources, the injured boy was immediately rushed to NRS Hospital. However, he was declared dead upon arrival. The deceased's name was Sheikh Sajid.
During the storm, many trees fell, leading to concerns for public safety.
The city corporation reported that 294 trees were uprooted in the aftermath of Remal. Major roads like Shakespeare Sarani, Park Street, Alipore Road, Ganesh Avenue, Strand Road, and Syed Amir Ali Avenue witnessed significant disruptions. Additionally, Cathedral Road, Park Street, and Camac Street also faced fallen trees.
According to municipal sources, the highest number of trees fell in Ward 10—41 trees, followed by Ward 7 with 38 trees. Wards 9 and 3 had 25 and 24 fallen trees, respectively. Wards 13 and 14 saw 18 trees each, while Ward 16 had 22 fallen trees. The fallen trees included varieties like Krishnachura, Radhachura, and Bakul.
However, the fear of roads being blocked during the disaster had already prompted Lalbazar to take action. Consequently, all police stations and traffic guards were put on high alert in anticipation of road blockages. Thus, they were equipped with tree-cutting machines and special teams to tackle the fallen trees.
Remal began its journey from the southwest of Mongla Port towards the southwest of West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday night. The impact of the cyclone caused strong winds in various districts of the region. Between 1:30 AM and 2:00 AM, the cyclone hit Khulna's Khepupara at a speed of up to 111 kilometres per hour, making it the fastest. It is known that, due to the cyclone, at least 10 people have died in the six coastal districts of Bangladesh. More than 35,000 houses have been completely destroyed. In Bengali, the number of dead was seven.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation reports that 294 trees have fallen due to the havoc of the cyclone in the city.
During the storm on Sunday night, trees fell and blocked roads in areas like Shakespeare Sarani, Park Street, Alipore Road, Ganesh Avenue, Strand Road, and Syed Amir Ali Avenue. Then on Monday morning, Cathedral Road, Park Street, and Camac Street were also affected by fallen trees.
The corporation further states that the highest number of trees fell in Ward 10, with 41 trees, followed by 38 trees in Ward 7. Wards 9 and 3 had 25 and 24 fallen trees, respectively. Wards 13 and 14 saw 18 trees each, while Ward 16 had 22 fallen trees. It was observed that the fallen trees included varieties like Krishnachura, Radhachura, and Bakul.
However, anticipating road blockages during the disaster, Lalbazar had already taken precautionary measures. Consequently, all police stations and traffic guards were put on high alert. They were equipped with tree-cutting machines and special teams to tackle the fallen trees.
