Kolkata Rains : The proud 335-year-old City of Joy, is struggling to stay afloat. An overnight spell of torrential rainfall, the heaviest the city has seen in nearly four decades, turned roads into rivers, paralyzed transport, and killed at least 11 people. With Durga Puja just days away, the timing couldn’t be worse.
The downpour, which measured 98 mm per hour, came dangerously close to the cloudburst threshold of 100 mm/hour. In just six hours, large swathes of the city and its outskirts were submerged. Vehicles stalled, homes were flooded, and families were cut off. Kolkata, with its 15 million residents, woke up on Tuesday to a nightmare.
The Deluge That Shook Kolkata
Kolkata Rains , In less than 24 hours, the city recorded 251.4 mm of rain—the highest since 1986 and the sixth-heaviest in 137 years. The southern suburb of Garia reported 332 mm, while north Kolkata’s Thanthania recorded 195 mm.
The intensity was staggering. Arterial roads disappeared under water, metro and train services were suspended, and outdoor puja pandals—meticulously crafted for Bengal’s biggest festival—were ruined.
“It turned our city into a river,” one local said. “We’ve never seen anything like this.”
Tragedy Strikes: 11 Dead Kolkata floods 2025
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee confirmed the loss of lives. Nine victims died due to electrocution from open or unattended wires. Eight of them were in Kolkata, while two others were in North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. Later, another death was reported from Narendrapur, raising the toll to 11.
Banerjee remarked, “Never in my life have I seen rain of this intensity.” “Life is priceless, and compensation cannot replace it. Still, we will help the families of those who died.”
The state announced ₹5 lakh compensation for the kin of the victims.
Public Life Comes to a Standstill
Between 2:30 am and 5:30 am, the skies opened up hardest on south and east Kolkata. Metro’s Blue Line was disrupted, suburban train services were hit, and tracks at Howrah and Kolkata stations were waterlogged.
Commuters were stranded for hours. Some walked miles. “I had to walk from Ultadanga to Park Circus because buses and taxis had vanished,” said Sailen Panda, a sales representative.
Government and private offices, hospitals, schools, and colleges were flooded. Vehicles broke down in waist-deep water. “I was supposed to take my mother to the doctor,” said Moumita Biswas from Kalikapur, “but after hearing about electrocutions on the news, I stayed home.”
IMD’s Warning and More Rain Ahead
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) noted that the rain came from a cyclonic circulation extending up to 7.6 km above mean sea level. It’s expected to persist for 24 hours before weakening.
But the danger isn’t over yet. Another low-pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal around September 25, raising the risk of more heavy rainfall later this week.
Political Blame Game Erupts : Kolkata Rains
Even as residents struggled, politics entered the storm. The BJP accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of poor preparedness. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged that despite the IMD’s orange alert, both Mamata Banerjee and the city mayor failed to act in time.“Millions are suffering because of their failure.”
Banerjee hit back, blaming CESC (Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation) and Metro authorities. She argued that outdated electrical cables and raw materials left at Metro construction sites worsened the flooding.
“I spoke to Sanjiv Goenka and told him electrical cables need urgent modernization,” she said. “CESC must compensate the victims’ families.”
CESC’s Defense : Kolkata Rains
CESC, however, clarified that five deaths happened inside residential buildings due to faulty wiring, while three others occurred from streetlight poles not maintained by them.
“To avoid accidents, we suspended power in regions worst affected by waterlogging.” About 50% of these connections were restored once water receded,” a spokesperson said.
Drainage Nightmare and the High Tide Factor
Kolkata’s drainage system was overwhelmed. Though Banerjee defended it, saying “the city’s drainage system is very good,” she admitted that a high tide in the Hooghly river slowed down water discharge.
The CM also pointed to the Farakka Barrage and Damodar Valley Corporation, blaming them for not dredging the Ganga’s riverbed and releasing excess water into West Bengal. Banerjee pointed out that floodwaters from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand ultimately drain into West Bengal. West Bengal is shaped like a boat—everything collects here,” she said.
Durga Puja Preparations in Chaos
For Kolkata, Durga Puja isn’t just a festival—it’s an identity. But with more than 3,000 puja pandals submerged, the celebrations face a severe setback.
“Last-minute preparations were on. Visitors had just started coming in. “The water washed away weeks of preparation and creative work on the pandals,” lamented Saswata Basu, general secretary of the Forum for Durgotsab.
With just days to go before the grand puja begins, the city is scrambling to recover.
Relief Measures and Control Room Setup
Declaring an emergency, Banerjee opened a control room at Nabanna, the state secretariat, and instructed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to pump water into the Hooghly.
She also declared holidays at state-run schools and urged private schools to advance their Puja vacations. Universities were told to switch to online classes.
“We cannot waste time on politics at such a critical hour,” she emphasized. “When Delhi or Maharashtra floods, we don’t play blame games. Nature’s fury is global—it spares no one.”
The Gloom Before the Puja Glow : Durga Puja Kolkata rains
The Kolkata Rains has cast a dark cloud—literally and figuratively—over Kolkata. Families grieve, residents wade through flooded streets, and Durga Puja preparations lie in tatters. Yet, amidst the despair, Kolkata’s spirit remains unbroken.
The city has weathered storms before and will rise again. But the tragedy serves as a wake-up call about infrastructure, urban planning, and preparedness.
As the rain clouds linger and more showers loom later this week, the City of Joy is bracing itself—not just for Puja, but for survival.
Read This Also : Aadhaar Card Lost
