Kolkata: A heavy spell of rain early on Monday morning brought the Central Business District to a near standstill, dealing a blow to business in trading hubs like Burrabazar, Canning Street, Ezra Street, College Street, BB Ganguly Street and Chandni. Stretches of Central Avenue, College Street, Mahatma Gandhi Road, and Ganesh Chandra Avenue were inundated until the afternoon, forcing many shops and stalls to remain shut or operate under difficult conditions. Later in the day, several rallies by different political outfits in areas like College Street, BB Ganguly Street Esplanade, and Central Avenue added to the misery of commuters and traders. As a result, there was a significant dip in the business of small and mid-level traders.“The first day of the week sets the momentum for the business for the rest of the week. But on Monday, there were hardly any customers. Heavy rain in the morning led to waterlogging and traffic snarls, so we could not open shops until the afternoon. Later in the day, there were several rallies which made the situation worse, keeping customers away,” said Ramesh Ruia, who runs a small electrical supply store on Ganesh Chandra Avenue. “Half the day was gone by the time the water cleared, and even then, footfall was scanty.”Most stalls in College Street book market remained closed until the afternoon as most vendors found their spaces submerged. Many small vendors, who depend on daily sales for their livelihoods, suffered damage to stock as well, which they kept out in the open to dry. “In the afternoon, there was a big protest rally which started from College Street. That hit the business further,” said Zainul Abedin, a book vendor outside Calcutta University.On Central Avenue, several shop owners selling surgical and lab equipment reported water entering their premises and damaging the stock. “The gradient of the road on Central Avenue between Mohammad Ali Park and Central Station is such that water enters the shops, damaging our stock. We deal in medical instruments which people won’t buy if they are wet,” said Anil Poddar, who runs a mid-sized surgical store near Central Avenue Post Office.The ripple effects were felt across major wholesale zones like Burrabazar, Bagree Market, Ezra Street, and Chandni Chowk, where small and mid-sized traders form the backbone of the daily business flow. Many were unable to open on time, while others waited in vain for customers. “Monday is our most important day for dispatching wholesale orders,” said Ashutosh Singh, a garment trader in Raja Katra Burrabazar. Traders also pointed to infrastructure failures that compound their losses every monsoon. “Every year, the same pockets of the city go underwater,” said Amit Jain, who runs a hardware store on Mahatma Gandhi Road. “There are a lot of promises along with some cosmetic changes. But once it rains, the bad infrastructure is exposed.”While the KMC deployed pumps in several locations, water drained out slowly in some pockets.
