Cloudy weather, rains hit normal life in Kolkata

Cloudy weather since morning and occasional rains affected life at the peak of the Durga Puja festivities in Kolkata on Saturday.

As a preparation to combat the effects of cyclone Phailin, which is predicted to hit Gopalpur today evening on the eastern coast of Odisha, the railways has cancelled all trains between Vizag and Howrah.

B.P. Sharma, Director, Kolkata Airport, told

Business Line around 3.45 p.m. that Bhubaneswar airport was being closed as heavy rains and increased wind velocity had affected normal airport functioning, including take-off and landing.

“Two flights — one of Indigo and another of Jet Airlines — from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar and back have been cancelled,” Sharma added. Since morning, there has not been any other cancellation.

“We have been informed that Vizag airport was also being closed simultaneously. However, there is no scheduled flight between Kolkata and Vizag on Saturday”, he added.

Currently, because of festive season, Kolkata is handling additional flights. “Of 262 flights — both incoming and outgoing — these two could be only cancellation. We have put our staff on emergency alert, which means additional deployment could be made if the situation so required.''

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