In a harrowing situation that has persisted for six days, residents of Mahestala Municipality’s Ward 18 in South 24 Parganas have been left without electricity due to severe waterlogging. The affected areas, primarily New Aynal Para and Sardar Para, have been grappling with knee-deep water following continuous rainfall, leading to a disruption in daily life and growing frustrations among the locals.
The waterlogging crisis, exacerbated by a dysfunctional drainage system, has rendered vast sections of Ward 18, along with parts of Ward 16, submerged. Residents of these areas, particularly in New Aynal Para and Sardar Para, have been without power since the local transformer became submerged under the rising water. CESC (Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation) workers have expressed their inability to restore electricity until the water levels recede, citing safety concerns, which has only intensified the anger of the local community.
On the sixth day of the outage, the situation reached a boiling point. Frustrated and desperate, a large group of residents gathered and staged a protest outside the home of the local Trinamool Congress (TMC) councilor, Soma Bera. The protesters voiced their grievances, highlighting the prolonged neglect of the drainage system that has left their homes waterlogged and without power. The residents demanded immediate action to restore normalcy, emphasizing the hardships faced due to the lack of electricity, especially in such difficult conditions.
The tension escalated when the police arrived at the scene to manage the situation. However, the presence of law enforcement did little to calm the residents, who also directed their frustrations towards the police, demanding quicker resolution of their problems. The protest continued outside the councilor’s house, where a heated exchange of words took place between the residents and the authorities.
Ultimately, the situation was defused after Councilor Soma Bera, along with the police, assured the residents that steps would be taken to resolve the waterlogging issue and restore electricity as soon as possible. Following these assurances, the protesters gradually dispersed, albeit with lingering concerns about how quickly their issues would be addressed.
This incident highlights the severe infrastructural challenges faced by residents in Mahestala, particularly during the monsoon season. The prolonged power outage and the lack of effective drainage have underscored the need for urgent interventions to prevent such crises in the future.
