Thousands struggling without water after a major leak in a pipeline in Kolkata’s Tala area

Thousands of residents at Kolkata’s Tala area have been struggling without water for the last three days after a major water supply pipeline under the Tala bridge leaked. The incident also triggered severe waterlogging and impacted the train services in the city.

According to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, over 5 million gallons of water have been gushed out after the 72-inch pipeline got damaged on Monday (November 9, 2026) morning. The line ran also under the railway track due to which the tracks also got waterlogged, disrupting train services.

Water supply to neighbourhoods of Central Avenue, Rajabazar, College Street, Bidhan Sarani, Park Circus, AJC Bose Road, parts of Ballygunge got disrupted, said the KMC officials.

KMC also started the repair work but said that it may take two to three days to restore the entire system. The Tala reservoir can restore up to 44 million gallons of water and supply potable water to five booster pumping stations.

The Sealdah Division of railways is also closely monitoring the situation and is working towards restoring the services. “I am pleased to inform passengers that, from tomorrow onwards, all Mail/Express and suburban train services will operate on their normal routes. Sealdah Division has also made alternative arrangements to prevent water from entering the railway tracks and has developed an additional drainage system to minimise the possibility of such waterlogging in the future,” said DRM Rajeev Saxena.

Taking immediate cognisance of the incident, General Manager, Eastern Railway, Gitika Pandey, held discussions at the highest level of State Government of West Bengal and initiated immediate action by constituting a dedicated team to tackle the situation. Understanding the difficulties faced by passengers, particularly those travelling from Kolkata Station to reach their destinations for Chhath Puja, Sealdah Division made special arrangements for their comfort and convenience. Food packets, drinking water and other refreshments were distributed among passengers waiting for delayed trains to ensure that they did not face additional hardship during this difficult situation.

Due to waterlogging and its impact on the signalling system, Circular Railway passenger services remained regulated on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Railway officials and technical teams worked continuously to restore the affected systems and bring train operations back to normal.