Officer-goers and other commuters headed to Sector V, New Town and the airport as well as residents of those pockets faced a tough time negotiating roads as they were under knee-deep water till late on Wednesday.

All major roads in Sector V went under water shortly after the day’s downpour started around around 4.45am. A number of roads in New Town and the airport area were flooded by 9am. At one point, the water on some roads was waist high.

The Salt Lake and Dum Dum stations of the weather office recorded more than 80mm of rain from 4.45am till 6.30pm.

Commuters on waterlogged roads in Salt Lake Sector V on Wednesday. Snehal Sengupta

In other parts of the city the showers started around 11am, an official in the Met department said.

A 2.5km-long stretch of VIP Road, near the Haldiram's outlet, and a stretch of the Major Arterial Road, near the Chinar Park crossing, were under knee-deep water around 6pm. Traffic snarls were reported from both arteries, which lead to the airport.

Cars and two-wheelers headed to Sector V from the Chingrighata crossing of EM Bypass had to negotiate the pothole-ridden stretch of the flooded Sector V-bound flank of the Salt Lake Bypass. Quite a few vehicles ran into potholes, which were hidden under water.

If reaching Sector V was a challenge, a tougher challenge awaited commuters inside the township. Vehicles crawled through streets knee-deep in water, while those who got off buses had no option but to wade through water.

Key crossings such as Wipro, College More and Godrej Waterside were under water, too.

Office-goers were spotted hailing rickshaws, which charged up to Rs 100 to travel short distances.

Subhrajyoti Roy said he had to shell out around Rs 100 to travel 1.5km, from College More till the Wipro Crossing, by rickshaw.

"There were no other options. I tried booking multiple app cabs but they all cancelled the bookings once I told them that I was at College More,” Roy said.

An official of Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority, which looks after the amenities of the tech township, said all three pumping stations were pressed into service to drain out water but they hardly proved enough.

Commuters on waterlogged roads in Salt Lake Sector V on Wednesday. Snehal Sengupta

NDITA chairman Debashis Sen said the Eastern Drainage Canal, where the pumps discharge water, was flowing at the danger level.

In New Town, too, all pumping stations were pressed into service. Officials had to keep watch to prevent flowback from the Bagjola and Kestopur canals, which were flowing at the danger level, too.