Heavy rain wreaks havoc in Kolkata ahead of Durga Puja; 9 dead, several flights affected
PTC News Desk: Torrential overnight rains brought Kolkata and its adjoining areas to a standstill on Tuesday, leaving several localities submerged in knee-deep water and crippling traffic movement.
The downpour also proved deadly, with five people electrocuted, underscoring the severity of the situation just days before Durga Puja. The death toll has risen to nine after four more people died due to rain-related incident.
Visuals showed vast parts of the city underwater, with floodwaters entering homes and apartment complexes. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Alipore recorded 239 mm of rain till 5.30 am, rising to 247.4 mm by 6.30 am. In the 24-hour period ending 6.30 am on September 23, the city logged 247.5 mm of rainfall, with the southern and eastern parts hit the hardest.
Data from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) showed extreme rainfall totals — Garia Kamdahari (332 mm), Jodhpur Park (285 mm), Kalighat (280.2 mm), Topsia (275 mm), Ballygunge (264 mm), and Chetla (262 mm). Other badly affected areas included Mominpur (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 (201 mm), Kulia (196 mm), and Thanthania (195 mm).
Railway operations were also thrown into chaos. Heavy waterlogging swamped Howrah and Sealdah division yards, including Howrah station yard, Sealdah South, Chitpur North Cabin, and several car sheds, forcing the cancellation, short-termination, and rescheduling of many suburban services. Though water pumps were deployed, the inflow from surrounding areas repeatedly hindered drainage.
Long-distance trains were also disrupted, with the Howrah–New Jalpaiguri, Howrah–Gaya, and Howrah–Jamalpur Vande Bharat Express services rescheduled due to flooding in the Howrah division.
- PTC NEWS
