Three years have passed, but most of the state's environment department officials are as yet unaware of the report and its findings.

The study had focussed on risks faced by coastal megacities due to climate change. Nothing much has been done to contain the situation in all this while, however. When contacted, most of the state's environment department officials were unaware of the report and its findings.

A game of pass-the-buck started after TOI started to take stock of the developments of the project. Pollution control board officials, mostly unaware about any such report, said that they don't have anything to do with it. A senior environment department official, who was closely associated with the project, said: "The study was done. It was decided that follow-up actions would be taken by KMDA or KMC."

Surprisingly, KMC officials were also ignorant about the project. Amit Roy, chief engineer of KMC's sewerage and drainage department, said: "We are yet to receive any such report. Once we get the report we will look into the issues raised by it." When asked about the project, state environment minister Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar said: "I cannot comment without looking into the details."

It's pertinent to take a re-look at what was so alarming in the report. The report, titled Climate Risks and Adaptation in Asian Coastal Megacities, did a vulnerability analysis of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area based on flood vulnerability, land use vulnerability and social vulnerability. After assessing the vulnerability at both the ward and sub-ward levels, the report concluded that with the mismatch between growth in population and creation of civic facilities, the city is on the brink of a disaster arising out of a massive flood.

Most of the damage will come from water submersion, the report said. Residential buildings and property, commercial and industrial establishments and major public infrastructure are likely to affected severely. Apart from that, there would be a loss of income during the flood period. The financial impact projected by the report (based on 2009 prices in India) could be as high as $6.8 billion. The report assessed the probable environmental impact on the city till 2050.

The synthesis report is a product of a joint programme on climate adaptation in Asian Coastal Megacities undertaken by the World Bank in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Let's look at the impact zones. The most vulnerable wards are 14, 57, 58, 63, 66, 67, 74, 80 and 108. According to the report, the eastern part of the city comprising areas such as Maniktala, Ultadanga, Mominpur, Loudon Street and Camac Street. The areas will be affected due to inadequate infrastructure, unplanned land use and poor socio-economic and environmental condition.

"Infrastructural problems are getting worse with increased building activity, as these areas have become attractive to developers after becoming part of the Kolkata Municpal Corporation," the report had said.

Residents of Park Street, Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Rawdon Square, Belvedere Road and Alipore Road are likely to be the most affected, the report had said. But why are the two wards — 63 and 74 — one of the "poshest" areas of the city, the most vulnerable? It was because of their "topography", the report said. The capacity of the sewarage system in these wards has not kept pace with the growth in population. Moreover, inadequate maintenance and siltation of the existing trunk sewer have made the situation worse for these companies. The trunk sewers have lost much of their carrying capacity at present.

"While the sewer networks in KMC under such partially silted condition still provide reasonable hydraulic capacity for carrying the dry weather flow, they are inadequate for carrying storm weather flow, even with normal precipitation during rainy season," the report said.

A previous study on the city's infrastructure was done by two indian firms and a foreign consultant on behalf of Kolkata Environment Improvement Project (KEIP). The study revealed some of the city's sewerage network needed immediate attention. These areas were identified as Ultadanga, Manicktala, Camac Street, Loudon Street, AJC Bose Road, Mominpur and Kidderpore among other areas. "If the World Bank study also finds fault with our sewarage network in these areas, then we have to take note of the impending danger," Roy said.