Kolkata, September 23: Kolkata was brought to a standstill on Tuesday after torrential overnight rain left vast areas under water, killed at least seven people by electrocution, and paralyzed transport services across the metropolis. The deluge struck just days before Durga Puja, the city’s biggest festival, as residents struggled through waist-deep water, stranded vehicles, and suspended train and Metro services.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the downpour as “unprecedented” and placed blame on poor dredging of the Farakka barrage and lapses by private power utility CESC. “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 told a Bengali news channel.
Squarely criticizing the utility, she added: “Electricity is supplied by CESC, not us. It is their duty to ensure people do not suffer because of this. They will do business here, but not modernise here? They should send people to the field and fix this.” She also expressed concern for Durga Puja organisers, saying, “Even our houses are submerged; we are all suffering. I am feeling so bad for the Pujo pandals as well. Schools have been asked to declare holidays and office-goers advised to stay home today and tomorrow.”
The victims included Firoz Ali Khan (50) of Beniapukur, Pranatosh Kundu (62) of Netaji Nagar, and Mumtaz Bibi (70) of Ekbalpur, along with an unidentified person in Gariahat.
Kolkata Mayor and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim confirmed the rising death toll, first reported as four and later updated to seven. He said waterlogging was widespread despite continuous pumping by Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) teams. “The canals and rivers are full of water and every time water is drained out, more is getting inside the city. We fear that the high tide around 1.30 p.m. may not help in our efforts. It would be around 10 p.m. when the situation could be expected to improve,” Hakim said.
Across the city, commuters waded through flooded intersections while buses broke down, taxis and app cabs either stayed off the roads or charged steep fares, and arterial roads such as EM Bypass, AJC Bose Road, and Central Avenue were gridlocked. Park Circus, Gariahat, Behala, and College Street saw traffic come to a halt, while smaller lanes in south and central Kolkata were completely cut off.
Metro services were suspended along a major stretch of the Blue Line between Shahid Khudiram and Maidan stations, while truncated services ran between Dakshineswar and Maidan. A Metro spokesperson said services were expected to normalize later in the day. Eastern Railway authorities reported suspension of services in the Sealdah south section due to waterlogged tracks, while skeletal services were maintained in the north and main sections. Trains to and from Howrah and Kolkata terminals were also partially hit, and Circular Railway services were shut down after waterlogging at Chitpur yard.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the deluge was triggered by a low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal and warned of more heavy rain across south Bengal districts, including Purba and Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram, and Bankura, till Wednesday. Another fresh low-pressure system is expected to form over the east-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around September 25.
The southern and eastern parts of Kolkata bore the brunt of the downpour, according to KMC data. Garia Kamdahari received 332 mm of rain in a few hours, followed by Jodhpur Park (285 mm), Kalighat (280 mm), Topsia (275 mm), and Ballygunge (264 mm). In north Kolkata, Thantania recorded 195 mm.
Amid the chaos, Calcutta University, Jadavpur University, and several schools suspended classes, while office-goers were advised to remain at home. For many residents, however, the memory of Tuesday’s storm will remain marked not only by flooded streets and broken transport but also by the loss of lives to unattended wires and submerged neighborhoods.
