KOLKATA– Torrential rains battered eastern India’s Kolkata and nearby regions, claiming at least 12 lives and plunging the city into chaos just days before a key Hindu festival, authorities reported Wednesday. The deluge triggered widespread flooding, snarled transportation networks and trapped residents amid rising waters for extended periods.
The bulk of the precipitation – reaching up to 251.6 mm (9.9 inches) over 24 hours – struck in the predawn hours of Tuesday, marking the most intense rainfall in Kolkata since 1988, according to HR Biswas, the India Meteorological Department (IMD)’s regional director in the city.
Police officials confirmed nine fatalities within Kolkata proper, primarily from electrocution incidents, alongside two drownings.
The onslaught effectively halted activity in West Bengal’s capital, derailing last-minute arrangements for Durga Puja, the region’s premier annual Hindu celebration. Numerous pandals – makeshift bamboo-and-fabric enclosures erected for the event – sustained heavy damage, as did clay effigies of the goddesses central to the festivities.
In several neighborhoods, roadways vanished under knee- to waist-high floodwaters, immobilizing cars and compelling pedestrians to navigate submerged thoroughfares on foot.
Commuter woes mounted as road, rail and air services ground to a near halt: multiple flights and trains faced cancellations or significant delays, while prolonged blackouts left swaths of the city in the dark, exacerbating the hardship.
“I was stuck in my hotel after my flight was scrubbed and every route was choked with standing water,” recounted Ranjan Panda, an expert on water resources and climate issues.
In response, officials mobilized pumps to drain roadways and rail lines, while launching aid efforts that encompassed meal distributions and round-the-clock emergency response.
The IMD forecasts additional showers across West Bengal and broader eastern India in the coming days, driven by a nascent low-pressure system brewing in the Bay of Bengal.
With the crisis unfolding, the state administration shuttered schools and other learning facilities through Thursday, paving the way for Durga Puja’s official holiday starting Friday.
Spokespeople anticipated a return to routine by late Wednesday, though they cautioned locals to exercise vigilance as receding waters in vulnerable zones posed lingering risks.
