Kolkata's iconic Howrah Bridge, among the busiest in the world, has been bereft of traffic for two days in quick succession.
Less than a fortnight after the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU)-backed transport strike brought the city to its knees, the Opposition-sponsored nationwide shutdown against fuel prices emptied the usually chaotic roads of West Bengal's capital again on Monday.
The Railway network was substantially affected early in the day due to agitations at various stations.
The Eastern Railways and the Southern Eastern Railways reported at least 75 obstructions and cancelled 24 trains.
“This morning, I've had to walk for about an hour from Santragachi Junction, where my train was stopped, to Howrah station. I have another train to catch this evening from Sealdah station but I don't know how to get there now,” said Sajal Guha, lying on the floor inside the red-brick Howrah station.
Indeed, with public, and most of private transport, staying off the streets, Guha had no way of making the short journey across the Howrah Bridge to Sealdah station.
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Meanwhile, Air India was the only airline to maintain service at Kolkata airport, even as private carriers only operated base flights. 18 domestic and six international flights flew out of the city early in the day, airport officials said.
The metro, however, remained open, providing the only reliable mode of transport. Metro officials said that regular service was being maintained, but the ridership was half of the usual figure of five lakh.
The impact on Kolkata's IT industry was tangible. Industry representatives said that attendance in major firms, including TCS, CTS and Wipro, was between 25-30 per cent, while those at BPOs stood at about 60 per cent.
“We are fared better than other cities, but such a nationwide shutdown is not a good sign when we are competing with other countries,” Sector V Industries Forum vice-president Kalyan Kar said. Sector V is the city's IT district.
But as cricket made a prodigious return to the boulevards and by-lanes of Kolkata, amidst the football fever brought on by the World Cup, the local industry was left feeling the heat.
“Not only is it the loss of a productive day, but how does a shutdown like this help? It serves no purpose. In terms of industry, it is a total loss,” Bharat Chamber of Commerce president Pavan Poddar said.