Kolkata Drowned under Heavy Downpour, Durga Puja Pandals Damaged, Normal Life Disrupted
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 23: At least eight people have been killed in rain-related incidents in Kolkata and its suburbs, many of them due to electrocution, after heavy rain overnight led to waterlogging in several places in the city, considerably damaging the near-complete Durga Puja pandals and paralysing the normal life that sparked off mud-slinging between the opposition BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress.
The intense downpour brought life in the city and surrounding areas to a near standstill, affecting traffic, public transport, and daily activities. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the record rainfall was caused by a low-pressure area formed over northeast Bay of Bengal in the morning under the influence of an upper air cyclonic circulation. Another low-pressure area is likely over east-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around September 25, it said. The IMD has predicted similar showers for Kolkata and neighbouring regions around September 25, prompting many community Durga Puja organisers to stay alert.
Flight operations at Kolkata airport were severely affected. More than 100 flights were affected: sixty-two were cancelled and 42 others delayed, as fliers struggled to travel to the airport. Visuals from the airport show waterlogging on the tarmac.
The waterlogging has disrupted traffic movement, as well as suburban rail and Metro services. In several low-lying parts of the city, water has entered homes and damaged property. Several schools have declared a rain holiday while the Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who called the rain “unprecedented,” announced Durga Puja leave for state-run schools two days ahead of schedule.
As large parts of Kolkata and some other parts of West Bengal saw waterlogging after “cloudburst-like” torrential overnight rain, public life was brought to a standstill triggering a political war of words between the two major political parties.
The BJP took to social media to attack the TMC-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), accusing it of corruption and civic failure over the rain that pounded the city amid Durga Puja buzz. In response, the TMC accused the BJP of “weaponising pain to spread hate” during a time of crisis.
“Durga Pujo celebrations are starting this week. Yet, due to Kolkata’s extremely poor drainage system, Puja pandals are submerged under water,” the Bengal BJP unit posted on X, sharing a video from the flooded Maniktala area in the heart of Kolkata city.
“Years of anarchy under the CPI(M) and nearly 15 years of corruption in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation under TMC have forced Bengalis to suffer even during their biggest festival, Durga Puja.” In another post, sharing visuals from Science City, the BJP linked the flooding to a breakdown in civil infrastructure and a deterrent to investment.
“See the condition of Kolkata around Science City… If such is the condition of civil lives, how can anyone think about living a sustainable life in Kolkata? How can any organisation further have the intent to invest? This is a breakdown of civil order,” the post read.
State finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya responded sharply, blaming the rainfall on an unusual cloudburst and accusing the BJP of ignoring scientific realities. “Yesterday, Kolkata faced the fury of a rare cloudburst. Nearly 300 mm of rain fell within hours, a scale that overwhelms any city, no matter its infrastructure… Yet what does BJP do? They ignore science, they ignore compassion, they ignore climate realities,” she posted on X.
“Their only obsession is to weaponise pain and spread hate. They think people cannot tell the difference between a natural calamity and their propaganda,” her post read. “We know that yesterday was nature’s wrath. We also know that BJP’s attempt to inject hatred during Durga Puja is strategic and will fail miserably,” she added.
Women and child development minister Sashi Panja also hit out at the BJP, accusing it of politicising the rain tragedy. “Amid calamity, leadership is measured in compassion and action. BJP offers neither. Instead, they mock Bengal while their own governments fail their people year after year at the first sign of heavy rain. Empathy? That’s beyond their vocabulary.”
Accusing the BJP of double standards and reminding the party of the condition a state government by it, she said, “When Gurgaon gets flooded, the BJP stays mum. And at a time of calamity, instead of showing compassion for people, all BJP does is mock the Bengal government.”
The intensity of rain was higher in the city’s southern and eastern parts. According to data from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Garia Kamdahari recorded 332 mm of rain in a few hours, followed by Jodhpur Park at 285 mm, Kalighat at 280 mm of rain, Topsia at 275 mm, and Ballygunge at 264 mm.
The weather office has said the downpour is the result of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. The city is now bracing for more rains. The heavy spell of rain has hit the city days before its annual Durga Puja extravaganza. The City of Joy’s puja pandals, which draw crowds from across the world, are mostly ready and the organisers would need to ensure that the downpour does not damage months of work to bring pandals to life.
“Persistent and heavy rain may impact flights to and from Kolkata today. Please check your flight status at https://airindia.com/in/en/manage/flight-status.html before leaving for the airport and allow extra time for your journey due to traffic and waterlogging,” Air India has said.
“With heavy rainfall and thunderstorms expected over Kolkata, we’re seeing a chance of delays and slower traffic to and from the airport. While we can’t control the skies, we’re doing everything possible to keep your journey steady on the ground,” IndiGo said in an advisory.
“Please check your flight status and consider giving yourself a little cushion of time to reach the airport. We’ll keep you posted and we’re always around if you need help.” The airport situation would also inconvenience those who are flying in from other cities or countries to spend the Durga Puja with their family.
Kolkata Mayor and senior Trinamool Congress leader Firhad Hakim said he has never seen such waterlogging in the city. “There is so much water in my locality, too. I have never seen such a situation. The corporation is arranging food and shelter for the affected people. If it does not rain anymore, we expect the situation to return to normal by tonight.” Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation, one of the major discoms in the city, has asked people to stay away from wires and electric poles on waterlogged roads.
Workers at Durga Puja pandals across south Kolkata were seen pumping out water through makeshift hoses and drains, fearing damage to decorative structures ahead of the festivities. “We had worked for three months to build this pandal. Now everything is under water. We are worried the bamboo structure may collapse,” said a Durga Puja organiser in Kalighat.
Ms Mamata Banerjee says that officials are working everywhere to restore normalcy in the city. ‘I have said from today all government schools will remain closed. Colleges and universities will also be closed for the next two days. Private offices should work from home for the next two days, and government offices too will do the same. Saving lives is the primary task right now,” she wrote on X.
Large parts of Kolkata were inundated after the heaviest rain, just two mm short of a cloud burst, in 37 years, battered the city in the early hours of Tuesday, ahead of the Durga Puja, West Bengal’s biggest carnival, beginning over the weekend. IMD’s Alipore station recorded around 251.4 mm of rain, the highest in the city since August 24, 1988, when Kolkata registered 253 mm of rainfall.
Across Kolkata, vehicles were stranded on major roads, with commuters wading through waist-deep water at several intersections, and Metro services were suspended along a long stretch of the Blue Line. Traffic was severely disrupted at key junctions such as Park Circus, Gariahat, Behala, and College Street, while long tailbacks were reported on EM Bypass, AJC Bose Road, and Central Avenue. Several smaller lanes in south and central Kolkata were completely impassable. Commuters reported buses breaking down mid-route, while taxis and app-based cabs either stayed off the roads or charged excessive fares. Calcutta University and Jadavpur University suspended all academic activities for the day.
Office-goers faced considerable difficulties due to disrupted public transport and widespread traffic congestion. Train and Metro services were badly affected, with significant waterlogging reported along the mid-section of the Blue Line (Dakshineswar–Shahid Khudiram), particularly between Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Rabindra Sarobar stations, leading to a suspension of services along this stretch.
Ms Banerjee described the downpour as “unprecedented,” criticising inadequate dredging of the Farakka barrage and lapses by private power utility CESC, while urging people to stay indoors for their safety. “I have never seen rain like this. I feel so bad for the people who have lost their lives in the cloudburst. I heard 7–8 people have died due to electrocution by open or unattended wires. It is so unfortunate… Their families must all be given jobs by the CESC. I am saying this clearly. We will also do whatever is possible to help,” Banerjee said.
