8 months ago
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On September 23, Kolkata received rainfall of astir 252 mm rainfall successful a span of conscionable 6-7 hours, which led to flooding and the deaths of 9 radical successful the metropolis and its adjoining districts. Eight of the deaths occurred successful Kolkata alone. All the victims — astir of them thoroughfare vendors and information guards — were electrocuted successful the waterlogged streets of the metropolis aft coming successful interaction with an exposed electrical source. As the metropolis limps backmost to normalcy, the question that everyone is asking is, who is liable for these deaths?
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the Calcutta Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) for the deaths and said that it should grant compensation to the kin of the deceased arsenic the decease was owed to its negligence. She added that she reached retired to CESC president Sanjiv Goenka connected the issue. CESC, which is simply a flagship institution of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, has a monopoly implicit powerfulness organisation successful Kolkata and respective adjoining areas. The institution did not publically respond to her allegations, but said a connection connected societal media that “street airy poles and postulation lights are not owned, maintained oregon managed by the CESC”.
Ms. Banerjee besides blamed the Union government’s deficiency of inaugural successful carrying retired dredging astatine the Farakka Barrage, astir 300 kilometres upstream connected the stream Ganga, for h2o logging successful the city.
According to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the estimated colonisation of the metropolis is 4.5 million. Kolkata besides sustains a floating colonisation of astir 6 million. It has done small to upgrade its infrastructure, however. From falling flyovers to roads filled with craters, the metropolis is crumbling.
Until a fewer decades ago, Kolkata had an elaborate web of creeks and canals that would pump sewage into the East Kolkata Wetlands. However, these structures person been filled up. Illegal constructions person travel up and person choked the sewerage and drainage web of the city.
In February 2025, the Asian Development Bank approved a $200 cardinal indebtedness for a task to make a climate- and disaster-resilient sewerage and drainage strategy successful Kolkata, but nary enactment tin beryllium seen connected the crushed yet.
Blaming a backstage institution specified arsenic the CESC oregon Central authorities agencies specified arsenic the Farakka Barrage and the Damodar Valley Corporation is an effort by the State authorities to deflect accountability. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the authorities volition person to instrumentality work for the nonaccomplishment of lives, which was intelligibly avoidable.
Ms. Banerjee besides indicated that the statement of energy proviso by the CESC to Kolkata was operational since the authorities of the Left Front government. But her authorities has not done capable to alteration the presumption quo successful the past 14 years.
In May 2020, erstwhile a ace cyclone, Amphan, ravaged Kolkata leaving astir 100 dormant successful the State, the Chief Minister stormed into the CESC bureau and blamed the energy proviso corp for mismanagement. Five years later, it has stuck to the aforesaid script. In fact, deficiency of accountability has go a hallmark of the Trinamool Congress regime. Unless determination is admittance of a lapse, nary corrective measures tin beryllium taken. The contented volition simply beryllium brushed nether the carpet until the adjacent disaster.
The authorities was speedy to denote compensation of ₹2 lakh to the kin of the deceased. Ms. Banerjee besides urged the CESC to supply compensation of ₹5 lakh to the kin of the deceased. Monetary compensation tin supply impermanent succour to the grieving families, but it cannot amended the crumbling civic infrastructure of the city. While Ms. Banerjee was punctual successful announcing compensation, she has not said thing connected the registration of FIRs and connected starting a probe into the deaths.
The Leader of the Opposition successful the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said that Haldia Energy, a radical institution of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, was the 2nd highest donor to the Trinamool done electoral bonds. The institution donated astir ₹281 crore, helium noted. Mr. Adhikari added that helium would guarantee that FIRs are registered. He besides accused the Chief Minister of hurting Hindu sentiments by inaugurating puja pandals up of Mahalaya, which helium claimed had caused the earthy disaster.
The residents of Kolkata merit not lone amended civic infrastructure, but much accountability and a rational sermon connected the challenges they face.
