Kolkata under Deluge, "aao chalo swim kare"

Day 22, Sep 22, 06: Kolkata:

I’m glad I learnt how to swim when I was young. Even more glad that I live high up. After a quick drink last night at Park Hotel’s Some Place Else, which is Kolkata’s watering hole for Rockers, it seems the city was getting watered down. The rain hadn’t stopped yet. I decided to call it a night as soon as I was done with dinner. Ok maybe a couple of late night text msg’s did happen closer to midnight, but what the heck.

My sleep was broken by the early morning singing on the Radio. 4 am and Mahalaya was being broadcast on the Radio. Tried to put in some shuteye but was dragged out to the verandah by my aunt. Wow, when did this happen? How did this happen? The road had been replaced by a River. My eyes popped at the sight. I quickly grabbed my Phone and started clicking pictures.

I spent the next five hours in the Balcony, watching how a Deluged city got back on its feet. Lucky that quite a few places have a holiday today. It could’ve been worse. The water finally receded at about 12.30 pm.

Lots of street urchins were having a whale of a time. Also part of the trick was to come in front of cars and make them stall in the water and then earn a quick buck pushing them out of it. Certain “gang” wars were also breaking out due to this sudden business opportunity.

The young ones seemed to be honing their swimming skills and just having fun in the water.

Concerned Citizens do their bit to overcome the water logging menace. Polythene seemed to be the main cause of blocked drains. I don’t know why the country hasn’t learned from the catastrophe in Mumbai last year.

Even a Police Recovery Van got stranded in the water. How ironical is that?

The ex-chief minister’s motorcade on its way to pick him up from his Salt Lake residence, I would presume. Come Hell or high water, this juggernaut will plough down the road with absolute disregard for the citizens of the city. The 8 vehicles with their sirens cutting the sound of horns and water lapping up the sides of the buildings sped through the street not at all intimidated by the water surrounding them.

I ended up having Luchi torkari and heading out to office finally when the KMC (Kolkata Municipal Corporation) workers came and opened several manholes to let the water drain out completely.

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