Very heavy rainfall overnight left Kolkata and surrounding areas paralysed on Tuesday, with streets submerged, traffic disrupted and at least nine people died by electrocution just days before the Durga Puja festivities.
Rain, which began past midnight, inundated several neighbourhoods and entered homes and residential complexes across the city. Visuals showed vast stretches underwater as residents struggled to navigate knee-deep flooding.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Alipore recorded 239 mm of rainfall until 5.30 a.m., which increased to 247.4 mm by 6.30 a.m. The IMD bulletin confirmed a total of 247.5 mm in the 24-hour period from 6.30 a.m. on September 22 to 6.30 a.m. on September 23.
The southern and eastern parts of the city bore the brunt of the deluge. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) reported extreme rainfall in pockets, with Garia Kamdahari receiving 332 mm, Jodhpur Park 285 mm, Kalighat 280.2 mm, Topsia 275 mm, Ballygunge 264 mm and Chetla 262 mm.
Other severely affected areas included Mominpur with 234 mm, Chingrihata 237 mm, Palmer Bazar 217 mm, Dhapa 212 mm, CPT Canal 209.4 mm, Ultadanga 207 mm, Kudghat 203.4 mm, Pagaldanga (Tangra) 201 mm, Kulia (Tangra) 196 mm and Thanthania 195 mm.
Railway operations were hit hard. Waterlogging was reported in the Howrah station yard, Sealdah South station yard, Chitpur North Cabin, several car sheds and large sections of the Sealdah yard.
The inundation forced authorities to short-terminate and short-originate several suburban services. Despite the use of pumps at multiple locations, the flow of water from adjacent civil areas slowed drainage efforts.
Long-distance services were also affected. The Howrah–New Jalpaiguri, Howrah–Gaya and Howrah–Jamalpur Vande Bharat Express trains were rescheduled due to flooding in the Howrah division.
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Metro services were disrupted as several stretches of the network faced waterlogging, though operations at Kolkata airport remained largely unaffected.
Pumps were deployed inside and around the apron area to prevent water accumulation. Authorities cautioned that while no major disruptions were reported, minor delays could occur.
The IMD said a low-pressure system has formed over the northeast Bay of Bengal and is likely to move northwestwards, bringing widespread light to moderate rain with isolated heavy to very heavy showers across South Bengal districts, including Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Bankura, until Wednesday.
Another fresh low-pressure area is expected to form over the east-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around 25 September.
On Tuesday, Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of 30.5°C, 2.3 degrees below normal, and a minimum of 24.6°C, 1.4 degrees below normal. Maximum relative humidity stood at 100 per cent and minimum at 79 per cent. Weather officials forecast a generally cloudy sky with a few spells of light to moderate rain or thundershowers.
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