Floods have made Panskura railway station completely inaccessible now, a fate worse than the inundation in 1978 according to old-timers.

Panskura railway station and its adjoining bus stand in East Midnapore district are not only connectors between East and West Midnapore but also serve as gateways to other districts of the state.

These two have been under siege for the last two days — for the first time since the 1978 flood — as they became inaccessible to commuters after floodwaters entered the area.

The nearly 10sqkm area surrounding Panskura railway station, which connects NH6 and the Ghatal state highway on the western side and road links to Tamluk, Contai, and Haldia on the eastern side, has been submerged under seven feet of water, making it impossible for people to navigate through the strong currents to reach the station platform.

“In 1978, there was water on the eastern side but the western side was dry. So people could enter the station through the other side of the platform but this time the entire area is inundated making the station completely inaccessible. Swimming through the strong current is the only option left,” Kalyan Roy, an employee of a private company who was 16 years old during the flood in 1978, said.

Sources in the administration revealed that the severe flooding now has been caused by significant breaches at four points along the Kangsabati river embankment, located 2km from the station, specifically at Domghat, Chanpadali, Ratulia and Gobordhonpur in East Midnapore.

“These points run parallel to the railway line, which led to extensive flooding at the railway station and its surrounding areas,” a senior irrigation official stated.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited Mongoldari at Ratulia to see the flood situation in the district on Thursday.

“There was a similar kind of breach in Kangsabati but it was on the other side of the embankment. It caused flooding in Tamluk but the station area was saved,” the official said.

The result was obvious. People with no other option had to wade through neck-deep water to reach the station, change their clothes and board trains.

“I’m a construction worker in Chennai. My ticket to Chennai from Howrah is today’s. I had no option but to swim 1.5km to reach the platform,” resident Sunirmal Das said.

“There are some boats but they are too overcrowded,” Das, who came home to Ranihati in Panskura a fortnight before, said.

As a result, the passenger inflow for both trains dropped significantly on Thursday. Speaking to The Telegraph, commercial supervisor of Panskura station, Kushal Mondal said: “The sale of tickets has come down below 30 per cent. Local people couldn’t come.”

The flooding not only disrupted rail connectivity but also severely affected bus services and local trade. The Panskura bus stand, one of the district’s major bus terminals and a key road link to most districts in south Bengal, was completely non-operational as the area was submerged under nearly seven feet of water.

The one-kilometer-long Panskura station market, a major trade hub in the district that supplies vegetables, flowers, and betel leaves to places within and outside Bengal remained shut down for the past two days, causing significant losses for traders.

“More than 1.5 lakh people have been affected of which 16,000 people have been rescued and 8,000 people have been taken to relief camps. We are trying to reach out to more people,” district magistrate of East Midnapore Purnendu Maji said.