Kolkata is reeling under extreme rainfall just days before Durga Puja, with large parts of the city submerged and at least seven deaths reported due to electrocution. The downpour, which began post-midnight, has disrupted metro and train services, forced school closures, and delayed multiple flights.
Some parts of the city received over 330 mm of rains within a few hours, with precipitation averaging more than 250 mm in most parts of the city and its suburbs. The southern and eastern parts of the city bore the brunt of the deluge.
On X, residents expressed alarm and frustration, with many comparing the scenes to the devastation caused by Cyclone Amphan in 2020. “Relentless rain turned Kolkata into a waterlogged nightmare last night. 250mm+ rainfall drowned the city, claiming 7 lives by electrocution,” wrote @TheSavvySapien. Sourav (@Sourav_3294) added, “Even during Amphan, Kolkata had received 236 mm of rainfall. Climate change is real.”
Another user, Jetsun (@Durcksgranuloma), noted, “This level of waterlogging last happened in 2007. Not even Supercyclone Amphan caused this much damage in the city.”
Several videos circulating online show flooded streets and stranded vehicles, with some residents likening the situation to Venice.
According to Kolkata Municipal Corporation data, Garia Kamdahari recorded 332 mm of rainfall, followed by Naktala (342 mm), Jodhpur Park (285 mm), Kalighat (280 mm), Topsia (275 mm), Ballygunge (264 mm), and Thantania in north Kolkata (195 mm).
IMD had forecast on Monday that a low-pressure trough moving northwards over Kolkata and South 24 Parganas could trigger heavy rainfall within 24 hours. The weather office has warned of similar showers till around September 25.
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