Across the city, loose drain covers, missing manhole lids, clumps of wires and other impediments make walking on waterlogged pavements a perilous affair for thousands of people.
On Tuesday morning, an elderly woman's right leg got trapped between two slabs covering a drain on a waterlogged road in New Town.
The leg was extricated after a three-and-a-half-hour rescue operation involving at least two dozen fire brigade officials, more than 25 policemen, scores of civic personnel and several residents.
Jayashree Roychoudhary escaped with cuts and bruises.
The Telegraph walked around the pavements across New Town and neighbouring areas and this is what we saw.
A gaping hole in the pavement because of a misplaced drain cover opposite NBCC Vibgyor housing complex in New Town
Bishwarup DuttaNew Town
A day after Roychoudhary, a DLF New Town Heights resident, got stuck for more than three hours, many pavements had gaping holes because of similar misaligned slabs.
The pavement opposite the NBCC Vibgyor housing complex in New Town's Action Area I is smooth and has newly laid paver blocks and tiles, but a gaping hole at least 2ft wide and 4ft deep lies in wait for unsuspecting pedestrians.
The gaping hole in the walkway was difficult to spot at a distance and will be near impossible to spot when the area gets waterlogged.
The situation was similar on several walkways in Action Areas II and III as well.
A day after Roychoudhary’s leg got trapped, the New Town authorities merely cordoned off loose drain covers using sticks and fluorescent tapes.
Debashis Sen, the chairman of the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA), said they had started identifying dangerous stretches on pavements and repairs will be carried out on a war footing.
“We will ensure all pavements are repaired before the Puja,” said Sen.
A concrete utility cover with exposed iron rods in front of a Pantaloons outlet in Sector V, near RDB Boulevard
Bishwarup DuttaSector V
Most walkways of Sector V, where thousands walk to their workplaces after getting off public transport, are completely taken over by stalls. Stretches that still remain free pose multiple risks to pedestrians.
In front of RDB Boulevard, multiple concrete drain covers and utility covers with metal linings were displaced from their usual spots resulting in wide gaps on what remained of the pavements.
Clusters of dud cables, too, pose a risk.
Sulagna Agarwal, a techie who works in a software company, said she had tripped opposite Ocean Grill restaurant while walking on the pavement as her shoe got caught on a drain cover that was jutting above the pavement.
An iron slab juts out of a broken pavement in front of Maniktala police station.
Bishwarup DuttaManiktala
A cluster of iron rods jutted out of the pavement in front of Maniktala police station in north Kolkata.
The rods were seemingly exposed as the brickwork of the pavement had broken down and chipped away.
A traffic sergeant posted near the police station said they placed traffic cones to guard the stretch and prevent anyone from walking on it amid rain.
“The rods jut out dangerously and can easily cause grievous injuries if someone steps on them or slips and falls on them,” said the traffic sergeant.
