Thousands distressed without water as main pipeline leaks in Kolkata's Tala area

Thousands of residents have been struggling with a water shortage for the last three days due to a massive leakage in the main water supply pipeline located under the Tala Bridge in Kolkata's Tala area, according to a report by The Hindu.

According to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), more than 50 lakh gallons of water flowed out on Monday, 9 November, 2026, after a 72-inch pipeline was damaged in the morning. As this pipeline passes under the railway tracks, water accumulated on the tracks, which also severely affected the city's train services.

KMC officials stated that the leakage has disrupted the water supply in parts of Central Avenue, Rajabazar, College Street, Bidhan Sarani, Park Circus, AJC Bose Road, and Ballygunge. The Corporation has commenced repair work, but it has been stated that it may take two to three days to restore normalcy. The Tala reservoir can store up to 440 lakh gallons of water and supplies potable water to five booster pumping stations.

The Sealdah division of the Railways is monitoring the situation, and work is underway to restore services. Sealdah division's DRM Rajiv Saxena informed passengers that he is pleased to say that from tomorrow, all mail/express and suburban train services will run on their normal routes. He further added that the Sealdah division has made alternative arrangements to prevent water from entering the railway tracks and has also developed an additional drainage system to reduce the possibility of such waterlogging in the future.

Eastern Railway's General Manager Gitika Pandey took immediate note of the incident, discussed it at the highest levels of the West Bengal government, and initiated immediate action by forming a dedicated team to tackle the situation. Keeping in view the difficulties of passengers, especially those travelling from Kolkata station for Chhath Puja, the Sealdah division made special arrangements. Food packets, drinking water, and other snacks were distributed to passengers waiting for delayed trains so that they would not face further hardship during this difficult time.

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

Tala has been an important area and one of the primary sources of Kolkata's water supply. The Tala reservoir and its pipeline network played a crucial role in delivering water to various parts of the city.