People in various parts of Kolkata staged protests on Friday demanding an immediate resumption of power and water supply, two days after Cyclone Amphan’ ravaged West Bengal, snapping cables, uprooting trees and leaving behind a trail of destruction.
Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, on his part, gave assurances that normalcy would be restored in a week, as government officials were working round the clock to improve the situation.
Attacking the TMC government, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Dilip Ghosh said the protests were proof that the ruling dispensation has failed to live up to people’s expectations.
At Behala area in south Kolkata, agitators took to the streets and shouted slogans against the government, claiming that residents had been reeling under power and water crisis for over 48 hours, with no respite in sight.
“We have been living without mobile connectivity, electricity and proper drinking water for the last 48 hours. Is this a joke? We can do without mobile connectivity, but what about electricity and clean drinking water? We are asking for basic facilities,” said Amit Dutta, a resident of Behala.
Similar protests were also reported from other parts of the state capital.
Pooja Saha, a techie who lives in central Kolkata, said he had called the Kolkata Municipal Corporation helpline number at least 50 times but got no response.
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