Kolkata’s Bowbazar area is set to receive relief from recurring monsoon waterlogging after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation completed the rehabilitation and cleaning of a nearly century-old, 2.2-kilometre sewer line beneath B.B. Ganguly Street. The upgraded line is expected to carry a larger volume of rainwater without obstruction and improve drainage in Bowbazar and areas adjoining Lalbazar.
The work was undertaken by the KMC’s Planning and Development department after severe waterlogging in Bowbazar during last year’s monsoon. The department was assigned responsibility for upgrading the underground sewer line in August last year, and the project was completed in about a year, ahead of its scheduled deadline, according to officials cited by Sanmarg.
A survey of the buried line found substantial silt accumulation as well as sections that had been badly damaged. The condition of the sewer had reduced its ability to convey stormwater, contributing to the drainage pressure experienced by the densely built central Kolkata neighbourhood during heavy rain.
The civic body used jetting and section machines to clean the line, along with compact bucket-desilting machines to remove years of accumulated silt. Officials said the equipment allowed the work to continue beneath the narrow and heavily used B.B. Ganguly Street without disrupting daytime traffic.
The intervention highlights the operational challenge of maintaining older underground drainage infrastructure in a dense central-city area. Rather than replacing the entire line, the project focused on surveying, repairing and clearing an existing sewer corridor that remains important to the drainage network serving Bowbazar and nearby parts of the city.
Residents have welcomed the completion of the work and are expecting improved conditions during the next monsoon. Waterlogging has been a recurring concern in the neighbourhood, affecting daily movement and normal activity whenever rain overwhelms or obstructs the drainage system.
The upgraded sewer’s actual performance will be assessed during the next period of significant rainfall. For now, the KMC’s stated next step is to put the rehabilitated line into operation and monitor whether its improved drainage capacity reduces waterlogging in Bowbazar and the areas near Lalbazar.
