Kolkata’s water crisis has widened across north, central and parts of south Kolkata after a damaged underground pipeline beneath Tala Bridge disrupted supply, with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation now working on an alternative connection to restore distribution before Friday.
The disruption began on Monday, when several areas received little or no water. The problem continued on Wednesday, with the most severe shortages reported in parts of wards 18 and 19, including Sonagachhi Lane, Durgacharan Mitra Street, Imam Baksh Lane, Natherbagan and Sheikhpara. Tala, Shobhabazar, Kumartuli, Bagbazar, Maniktala, Bagmari, Entally, Girish Park, Ahiritola and Sealdah have also reported reduced or interrupted supply.
Some areas in south Kolkata, including AJC Bose Road, Ballygunge and Kasba, have also experienced disruption. The municipal corporation has said that the failure is linked to a crack in an underground pipeline beneath Tala Bridge. The pipe is described in the report as dating from the British period, and the damage has affected water pressure across a wide area of the city.
To create an interim supply route, municipal workers have begun connecting a 1,200-mm pipeline located about 500 metres from the site near the Tala Bridge–Manmatha Ganguly Street junction to the city’s 1,800-mm main pipeline through a diversion. The temporary connection is intended to restart water distribution while the damaged section is isolated and repaired.
Municipal workers said the site is waterlogged, making it difficult to identify the precise location of the break. Once the alternative line is completed, the damaged pipeline can be emptied, allowing the corporation to locate the failure accurately and begin repairs. Municipal sources have said that full restoration across the affected areas is unlikely before Friday.
The corporation temporarily suspended water supply in Belgachia, Tarashankar Sarani and adjoining areas on Wednesday while work was under way. Residents in these locations were advised to store drinking water, use supplies carefully and avoid wastage. The corporation has also said that water tankers are being sent to affected areas in north, central and south Kolkata and that residents can contact the designated municipal helpline for urgent requirements.
Residents told Anandabazar.com that tanker response remained uneven. While water vehicles reached some locations after calls, residents in several other areas said they had not received assistance. The corporation said it was not possible to send tankers to every location simultaneously. The report attributed the coordination difficulties to the absence of councillors in the affected areas and the city’s continuing uncertainty over municipal elections. It also reported that Kolkata currently has no mayor or mayor-in-council. The corporation’s interim pipeline work and the subsequent repair of the damaged main remain the next steps for restoring normal supply.
