Dispute Over Cause of Park Street Station Flooding

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has refuted claims by Metro Railways that the flooding at Park Street metro station was due to a leakage in the municipal drainage system, instead attributing the inundation to a fault in the metro’s diaphragm wall.

The dispute arose following severe waterlogging in the Park Street-Esplanade metro tunnel, which led to a suspension of train services along a significant portion of the north-south line during Cyclone Remal. On May 27, Metro Railways issued a statement attributing the waterlogging to a leakage in KMC’s sewerage system. A subsequent statement on Thursday reiterated this, suggesting a direct connection between heavy rainfall and a nearby water body affecting the diaphragm wall. A dye test conducted by Metro officials purportedly confirmed the water seepage originated from KMC’s sewer line.

Metro officials detailed findings from a joint inspection with KMC, which revealed silt accumulation in KMC’s century-old brick sewer and the presence of pores in the manhole walls. “Water entered through these three manhole pores on May 27. Metro and KMC are working in tandem to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future,” a Metro official stated.

Contradicting this, KMC officials maintained that the water seepage issue stemmed from a problem with the metro’s diaphragm wall rather than the municipal drainage network. They expressed their willingness to collaborate with Metro Railways by sending a team to the site to suggest remedial measures for the leakage. During an inspection on Wednesday, Tarak Singh, Member, Mayor-in-Council (MMiC) of the Sewerage Department, observed, “We found that water was seeping through the D-wall.”

The ongoing dispute between KMC and Metro Railways highlights the complexity of urban infrastructure management and the challenges in pinpointing and addressing the root causes of flooding in critical transit systems. As both entities continue to investigate and address the issue, the focus remains on preventing future incidents and ensuring the smooth operation of Kolkata’s metro services.