Cyclone Amphan: Drinking water, electricity restored in most parts of Kolkata

Drinking water and electricity was restored in most parts of Kolkata on Wednesday, a week after a cyclonic storm tore through the state, decimating houses, uprooting trees and snapping power cables. There was no report of fresh protest in any part of the city on Wednesday, Kolkata Police sources said. However, in Barasat and Duttapukur area of North 24

Parganas district, hundreds of people blocked the Jessore Road to protest against non-resumption of power by the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WBSEDCL), police said.

Private power utility, CESC Ltd, which supplies power to most parts of the metropolis claimed that 95 per cent of 33 lakh consumers have been reconnected to power.

"We are committed to work on a war footing to ensure

normalcy. Of 33 lakh consumers, 32 lakh have been connected. Teams are working round-the-clock. You have been very patient. We seek your cooperation as we work 24/7 to restore normalcy," the CESC tweeted. Meanwhile, there were reports of power not yet restored in some parts of the city like Behala. A senior official of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said, "Our job is almost complete. Now the issue of

power restoration is being looked into by CESC. They have assured us that power would be restored in remaining areas soon". In some pockets of the city, KMC personnel assisted by other agencies and a team from Odisha were busy clearing the roads even as vehicular movement resumed in most areas, the official said.

Trinamool Congress legislator Abdul Khaleque Molla and four others were injured on Tuesday while they were trying to persuade a group of people protesting over disruption of electricity. The protest was held by residents of Kanchantala under Nadial police station in the port area of the city.