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• 23 Sep, 2025

Ø  Breaking: 7 Dead in Record Kolkata Rain, City Flooded Before Durga Puja

Ø  Heavy Rain Kills 7 in Kolkata Electrocution, IMD Issues Fresh Weather Alert

Ø  Kolkata Rain Crisis: Death Toll Rises, Durga Puja Preparations Hit by Flooding

Ø  Live Updates: Kolkata Paralyzed by 332mm Rainfall, Metro Suspended, Deaths Reported

Kolkata witnessed unprecedented devastation as record-breaking rainfall over seven consecutive hours brought the City of Joy to its knees on September 23, 2025. The catastrophic downpour, which began at 1 AM and continued through early morning, has claimed seven lives through electrocution incidents, leaving the metropolis completely waterlogged just days before Durga Puja celebrations.

The torrential rains recorded over 300mm across the city with some areas receiving as much as 332mm in mere hours. This unprecedented deluge has transformed streets into rivers, forcing authorities to suspend Metro services on the Blue Line and disrupting railway operations across West Bengal.

Tragic Death Toll Continues to Rise

The devastating impact of the heavy rainfall became evident as reports of electrocution deaths poured in from multiple locations across Kolkata. Seven fatalities have been confirmed in separate incidents across

·       Beniapukur

·       Kalikapur

·       Netaji Nagar

·       Ballygunge Place

·       Mominpore

·       Gariahat

·       Ekbalpur

In Netaji Nagar, a cyclist lost his life after coming into contact with a live electrical wire near a lamppost on the waterlogged street. The victim’s body remained floating in the accumulated rainwater as short circuits prevented fire services from immediate rescue operations. Similar tragic incidents occurred in Kalikapur and Ballygunge Place, where residents were electrocuted while attempting to navigate through knee-deep water.

The Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) has been alerted to disconnect power supply in affected areas. However, widespread open meter boxes and dangling wires from lampposts continue to pose deadly threats across the flooded city.

Metro and Railway Services Completely Disrupted

The unprecedented rainfall has severely impacted Kolkata’s transportation network. Metro Railway services on the crucial Blue Line (Dakshineswar-Shahid Khudiram) have been suspended between Shahid Khudiram and Maidan stations due to waterlogging between Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Rabindra Sarobar stations.

A Metro Railway spokesperson confirmed that truncated services are currently operating only between Dakshineswar and Maidan stations to ensure passenger safety. Eastern Railway operations have also been severely affected with train movement suspended on the Sealdah south section while skeleton services operate on Sealdah north and main sections.

The waterlogging has also disrupted services at Howrah and Kolkata terminal stations with tracks remaining submerged hours after the rainfall ceased. Circular Railway line operations have been completely halted due to flooding at Chitpur yard.

Record Rainfall Creates Havoc Across City

The India Meteorological Department’s Alipore office recorded 247.5mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period ending 6:30 AM on September 23. However, the southern and eastern parts of Kolkata bore the brunt of the deluge with some areas experiencing catastrophic precipitation levels.

Garia Kamdahari emerged as the worst-affected area, recording a staggering 332mm of rainfall in just a few hours. Other severely impacted locations included

·       Jodhpur Park (285mm)

·       Kalighat (280mm)

·       Topsia (275mm)

·       Ballygunge (264mm).

Even northern Kolkata areas like Thantania recorded significant rainfall of 195mm.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has been working round-the-clock to drain floodwater into the River Hooghly with all lock gates opened since 4 AM. Despite these efforts, many areas remain submerged with water entering residential complexes and homes across the city.

Durga Puja Preparations Severely Affected

The timing of this natural disaster couldn't be worse, as Kolkata was gearing up for its biggest festival - Durga Puja. Several pandals have suffered structural damage with construction stalls collapsing and final-stage preparations coming to a complete halt.

Water has entered major pandals across south and central Kolkata, forcing organizers to scramble to protect structures from further damage. At Bosepukur Talbagan, pandals were completely submerged after nearly five hours of relentless rainfall. Many Durga Puja committees are now facing the challenge of repairing damaged installations with limited time before the festivities begin.

The disruption has dampened spirits as Bengalis returning home for the festival encountered a city in crisis rather than the decorated metropolis they expected.

Weather Department Issues Fresh Warnings

The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for continued heavy rainfall across West Bengal. A low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal is likely to bring more widespread rain with isolated heavy to very heavy downpours across south Bengal districts.

The weather forecast predicts continued heavy rainfall in

·       Purba Medinipur

·       Paschim Medinipur

·       South 24 Parganas

·       Jhargram

·       Bankura districts until Wednesday.

More concerning is the prediction of another low-pressure system likely to form over the east-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around September 25.

Wind speeds could reach 40-50 kmph in South 24 Parganas and East Medinipur, while gusts of 30-40 kmph are forecast for other districts. The IMD has advised fishermen against venturing into the North Bay of Bengal due to rough sea conditions.

Emergency Response and Safety Measures

Authorities have taken multiple emergency measures to manage the crisis. CESC has proactively cut power supply to various waterlogged areas as a precautionary measure to prevent further electrocution incidents. Multiple schools have declared holidays and airlines have issued travel advisories citing bad weather conditions.

The state government has deployed senior IAS officers to monitor the flood situation across affected districts. Emergency shelters have been prepared with adequate drinking water, medicines and dry food supplies. Rescue operations are ongoing, though hampered by continued rainfall and dangerous electrical hazards.

Traffic movement has been severely affected across arterial roads with vehicles stranded for hours in knee-to-waist-deep water at key intersections including Park Circus, Gariahat, Behala and College Street. Long traffic snarls have been reported on EM Bypass, AJC Bose Road and Central Avenue.

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Impact Analysis and Historical Context

This flooding event represents one of the most severe weather-related disasters Kolkata has witnessed in recent years. The city has experienced similar devastating floods in the past but the combination of record rainfall, multiple fatalities and timing just before Durga Puja makes this event particularly catastrophic.

The incident highlights critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, particularly in the city's drainage system and electrical safety measures. The recurring pattern of electrocution deaths during heavy rainfall events points to systemic issues that require urgent attention.

The economic impact extends beyond immediate damage, affecting Durga Puja tourism, local businesses and daily wage earners who cannot work due to waterlogging.

Conclusion

The unprecedented rainfall that struck Kolkata on September 23, 2025 serves as a stark reminder of the city’s vulnerability to extreme weather events. With seven lives lost and the city’s infrastructure severely disrupted just days before Durga Puja, this disaster demands immediate and long-term solutions to prevent future tragedies.

As the city struggles to return to normalcy, the focus must shift to improving drainage systems, ensuring electrical safety during floods and developing robust emergency response mechanisms. The resilience of Kolkatans will undoubtedly help the city recover but systemic changes are essential to prevent such devastation in the future.

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